Patricia Wright

• Ph.D.
• Professor (Full) at Stony Brook University

The unsustainable harvest and consumption of wild animals destabilizes both wildlife populations and the human livelihoods that depend upon them. In coastal landscapes, the overexploitation of terrestrial resources can increase pressures on marine ecosystems, and vice versa. We explore populations' ability to mitigate hunting pressure by bolstering...

This study uses a biogeographic framework to identify patterns of gut microbiome divergence in an endangered lemur species endemic to Madagascar's southeastern rainforests, the Milne‐Edwards's sifaka ( Propithecus edwardsi) . Specifically, we tested the effects of (1) geographic barriers, (2) habitat disturbance, and (3) geographic distance on gut...

Background Tracking the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria is critical to reduce global morbidity and mortality associated with human and animal infections. There is a need to understand the role that wild animals in maintenance and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Methods This study used metagenomics to identify and compare th...

During the Late Holocene, Madagascar experienced the loss of ~50 vertebrate species including mammals, birds and reptiles. Many of these were relatively large-bodied (e.g., “giant” lemurs, hippopotamuses, flightless elephant birds, and horned crocodiles). Many are known to have survived into the past two millennia. Most extinction date estimates fa...

1. The loss and degradation of forests and other ecosystems worldwide threaten both global biodiversity and the livelihoods of people who use natural resources. Understanding how natural resource use impacts landscape provisioning services for both people and wildlife is thus critical for designing comprehensive resource management strategies. 2. W...

Deforestation, exploitation, and other drivers of biodiversity loss in Madagascar leave its highly endangered and predominantly endemic wildlife at risk of extinction. Decreasing biodiversity threatens to compromise ecosystem functions and vital services provided to people. New, economical, and diverse methods of biodiversity monitoring can help to...

The futures of human and nonhuman primates are closely tied in protected areas. Understanding this interconnectedness is especially urgent in Madagascar, one of the world’s most impoverished biodiversity hotspots. Yet, no study has evaluated the relationship between poverty and lemur hunting and consumption using a composite poverty metric that inc...

For the endemic wildlife of Madagascar, the risk of extinction increases as the island's forest cover decreases. Many of the remaining forests are isolated fragments serving as important refugia for biodiversity. In this research note, we describe the biodiversity of the Ivohiboro Humid Forest (IHF), and its conservation importance in Madagascar. L...

Madagascar’s high rates of endemism, paired with its escalating deforestation rates, has made it one of the most important conservation priorities on the planet. In southeastern Madagascar, the Corridor Forestier d’Ambositra Vondrozo (COFAV) is an unprotected rainforest corridor that sustains ∼15 species of lemurs, most of which are endangered. The...

Identifying the major forces driving variation in gut microbiomes enhances our understanding of how and why symbioses between hosts and microbes evolved. Gut prokaryotic community variation is often closely associated with host evolutionary and ecological variables. Whether these same factors drive variation in other microbial taxa occupying the an...

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus brought many primatology research programs and conservation efforts to a halt. After Madagascar closed its borders during March 2020, many on-site international project leaders and researchers returned to their home countries when their programs were delayed or canceled. Madagascar remained close...

A total of 94% of lemur species are currently threatened with extinction and more than 17 species of giant lemur are already extinct. To help prevent the extinction of Madagascar's remaining lemurs, Dr. Patricia Wright initiated conservation programs in the Ranomafana region of southern Madagascar in the 1990s. These continued and expanded, and in...

Gut prokaryotic (GP) community variation is often associated with host evolutionary and ecological variables; whether these factors drive variation in other gut taxa remains largely untested. We present a one-to-one comparison of GP (16S rRNA metabarcoding) and microeukaryotic (GME) (18S rRNA metabarcoding) community patterning among 12 species of...

The unsustainable hunting and consumption of primates destabilizes both wildlife populations and the humans who depend upon them. This is especially pertinent in Madagascar—one of the world’s poorest, least food secure, and most biodiverse countries. The people of Kirindy Mitea National Park have faced numerous famines during the prior decade. Alth...

Madagascar is a threatened global biodiversity hotspot and conservation priority, yet we lack broad‐scale surveys to assess biodiversity across space and time. To fill this gap, we collated camera trap surveys, capturing species occurrences within Madagascar into a single standardized database. This data set includes nine distinct protected areas o...

Mammals harbor diverse gut microbiomes (GMs) that perform critical functions for host health and fitness. Identifying factors associated with GM variation can help illuminate the role of microbial symbionts in mediating host ecological interactions and evolutionary processes, including diversification and adaptation. Many mammals demonstrate phylos...

Zombitse‐Vohibasia National Park harbours a species‐rich but understudied lemur community in southwestern Madagascar. Local population estimates are dated or absent for its four sympatric species of Cheirogaleidae: the grey mouse lemur ( Microcebus murinus ), Coquerel's giant mouse lemur ( Mirza coquereli ), fat‐tailed dwarf lemur ( Cheirogaleus me...

There are many outstanding questions about how to control the global COVID-19 pandemic. The information void has been especially stark in the World Health Organization Africa Region, which has low per capita reported cases, low testing rates, low access to therapeutic drugs, and has the longest wait for vaccines. As with all disease, the central ch...

Arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.) can fulfill major nutritional requirements for primates, particularly in terms of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Yet, for many primate species we know very little about the frequency and importance of arthropod consumption. Traditional methods for arthropod prey identification, such as behavioral observa...

IUCN Red List Assessment

IUCN Red List assessment

IUCN Red List assessment

IUCN Red List assessment

2020 -- IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group (Madagascar Section) Red List conservation status review and update for the white-fronted lemur (Eulemur albifrons). This was part of a bigger reviewing and updating of Red List conservation statuses for all lemur species -- the first such review and update for lemurs since 2012. As a result of this 2020 co...

2020 -- IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group (Madagascar Section) Red List conservation status review and update for the black lemur (Eulemur macaco). This was part of a bigger reviewing and updating of Red List conservation statuses for all lemur species -- the first such review and update for lemurs since 2012. As a result of this 2020 conservation...

Madagascar lost a large number of large-bodied animal species during the Holocene. Many of them played important roles as seed dispersers. In the case of the largest-seeded species, giant lemurs or elephant birds may have been the sole dispersers because no extant frugivore has a gape size large enough to ingest those seeds. These plant species now...

Geophagy has been observed in nearly every long‐term study of folivorous primates. Yet despite frequent observations of this behavior, conclusive explanations for soil consumption remain ambiguous. This study tests the most frequently proposed hypotheses for geophagy using data collected on the geophagic behavior of the Milne‐Edwards’ sifaka ( Prop...

Deforestation continues to jeopardize Malagasy primates as viable habitats become smaller, more fragmented, and more disturbed. This deforestation can lead to changes in diet, microhabitat, and gene flow between populations of endangered species, and it remains unclear how these changes may affect gut microbiome (GM) characteristics. The black-and-...

The study of the primate microbiome is critical in understanding the role of the microbial community in the host organism. To be able to isolate the main factors responsible for the differences observed in microbiomes within and between individuals, confounding factors due to technical variations need to be removed. To determine whether alterations...

Both host phylogenetic placement and feeding strategy influence the structure of the gut microbiome (GMB); however, parsing their relative contributions presents a challenge. To meet this challenge, we compared GMB structure in two genera of lemurs characterized by different dietary specializations, the frugivorous brown lemurs ( Eulemur spp.) and...

Madagascar’s recently elected president ran on a platform of improving the economy and raising people out of poverty. We suggest that addressing the precipitous decline of biodiversity will help to deliver this commitment, and we lay out ways in which President Rajoelina could firmly put the country on a trajectory towards sustainable growth.

Various studies in ecology have shown the relationship between body condition and parasitic loads in nonhuman primates, however, little information is available regarding prosimians such as lemurs. In this study, the synergistic effect of parasite infection and socio-ecological factors on the body condition of Microcebus rufus in the family Cheirog...

Previous research suggests that people first arrived on Madagascar by ~2500 years before present (years B.P.). This hypothesis is consistent with butchery marks on extinct lemur bones from ~2400 years B.P. and perhaps with archaeological evidence of human presence from ~4000 years B.P. We report >10,500-year-old human-modified bones for the extinct...

Aim Species’ distributions and abundances are primarily determined by the suitability of environmental conditions, including climate and interactions with sympatric species, but also increasingly by human activities. Modelling tools can help in assessing the extinction risk of affected species. By combining species distribution modelling of abiotic...

As the influence of climate change on tropical forests becomes apparent, more studies are needed to understand how changes in climatic variables such as rainfall are likely to affect tree phenology. Using a twelve-year dataset (2005–2016), we studied the impact of seasonal rainfall patterns on the fruiting phenology of 69 tree species in the rain f...

Amoebiasis, caused by Entamoeba histolytica, affects 50 million people worldwide, and results in 100,000 deaths annually. It is particularly prevalent in developing nations where poverty and poor sanitation contribute to contamination of food and water. E. histolytica is also a zoonotic protozoan parasite with the potential to infect non-human prim...

The uneven representation of frugivorous mammals and birds across tropical regions-high in the New World, low in Madagascar and intermediate in Africa and Asia-represents a long-standing enigma in ecology. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain these differences but the ultimate drivers remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that...

Animal behaviours, like aggression, can directly affect host health by influencing exposure to parasites. Aggressive individuals may experience an increase in agonistic interactions and contact rates with conspecifics, which might increase their probability of acquiring parasites. However, aggression is not the only factor that shapes parasitism; p...

Animals with dietary specializations can be used to link climate to specific ecological drivers of endangerment. Only two mammals, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in Asia and the greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus) in Madagascar, consume the nutritionally poor and mechanically challenging culm or trunk of woody bamboos [1-3]. Even though...

Edge effects are among the most significant consequences of forest fragmentation. Therefore, understanding the impacts of edge creation on biodiversity is crucial for forest management and biological conservation. In this study, we used trait-based and phylogenetic approaches to examine the effects of fragmentation on components of diversity and ab...

Protected areas (PA) aim to eliminate many of the threats that species face on the greater landscape. In the last three decades, PA's have expanded considerably; however, quantitative assessments of how well they have mitigated threats to habitat and biodiversity are very limited. Habitat bordering PA's and the wildlife that use it are threatened b...

Lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers are socially and ecologically diverse primates that include some of the most endangered mammals. We review results of long-term studies of 15 lemur species from 7 sites in Madagascar and 1 species each of loris and tarsier in Indonesia. We emphasize that the existence of long-term study populations is a crucial prerequ...

Protein limitation has been considered a key factor in hypotheses on the evolution of life history and animal communities, suggesting that animals should prioritize protein in their food choice. This contrasts with the limited support that food selection studies have provided for such a priority in nonhuman primates, particularly for folivores. Her...

Some primate populations include both trichromatic and dichromatic (red– green colour blind) individuals due to allelic variation at the X-linked opsin locus. This polymorphic trichromacy is well described in day-active New World monkeys. Less is known about colour vision in Malagasy lemurs, but, unlike New World monkeys, only some day-active lemur...

Biological invasions can represent important threats to endemic species, including those within the invaders’ food webs. The Asian common toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) was introduced to Madagascar in 2011. This introduction presents a potentially dangerous prey item to a relatively naı¨ve, highly diverse endemic carnivore fauna. Using a multiva...

Most terrestrial species on Earth are ectothermic and track temperature at small spatial scales, from sun flecks to cool shaded spots. Current assessments of thermal heterogeneity in complex environments are predominately characterized by ambient temperature. This omission of solar radiation may lead to inaccurate conclusions regarding thermoregula...

Analyses of genetic polymorphisms can aid our understanding of intra- and interspecific variation in primate sociality, ecology, and behavior. Studies of primate opsin genes are prime examples of this, as single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the X-linked opsin gene underlie variation in color vision. For primate species with polymorphic trichromacy...

The dwarf and mouse lemurs of Madagascar are two very species-rich lemur genera, yet there is a relative paucity of information on this primate family in published literature. In this first ever treatment of the Cheirogaleidae, international experts are brought together to review and integrate our current knowledge of the behaviour, physiology, eco...

Background: Deforestation and land-use change have the potential to alter human exposure to malaria. A large percentage of Madagascar's original forest cover has been lost to slash-and-burn agriculture, and malaria is one of the top causes of mortality on the island. In this study, the influence of land-use on the distribution of Plasmodium vector...

Mouse lemurs (Microcebus) are solitary, experience heavy predation, and use torpor to conserve energy, so an individual's choice of daytime sleeping site can have a major impact on its fitness. Sharing a sleeping site may strengthen social bonds or insulate against fluctuating ambient temperatures. Changing sites often may prevent tracking by preda...

Appendix A: Details of Study Materials and Methods.

Appendix B: Tables and Figures.

Livestock represent a fundamental economic and nutritional resource for many households in the developing world; however, a high burden of infectious disease limits their production potential. Here we present an ecological framework for estimating the burden of poultry disease based on coupled models of infectious disease and economics. The framewo...

All habitats of Madagascar go through a dry season from April to September each year, resulting in a period of fruit scarcity lasting up to 6 months and creating selection pressure for adaptation to fluctuations in resources. Some Cheirogaleid lemurs, including mouse lemurs (Microcebus), use daily torpor and long-term hibernation during this period...

Body condition may be an important indicator for many infectious diseases and parasites, and may ultimately affect an individual's fitness. Although some research has correlated body condition and parasite loads in other nonhuman primates, little information has been investigated in prosimian primates. In this study we compare parasitic infections...

The conservation of Madagascar amphibians has become object of study and application in the last twenty years, and concomitant to the presence and action of several herpetologists, who take this discipline to Madagascar, and highlighted the importance of preparing a serious action plan. Until then, taxonomy and survey works were the main activities...

As human population density continues to increase exponentially, speeding the reduction and fragmentation of primate habitat, greater human-primate contact is inevitable, making higher rates of pathogen transmission likely. Anthropogenic effects are particularly evident in Madagascar, where a diversity of endemic lemur species are threatened by rap...

Malaria is the 4th largest cause of mortality in Madagascar. To better understand malaria transmission dynamics, it is crucial to map the distribution of the malaria vectors, mosquitoes belonging to the genus Anopheles. To do so, it is important to have a strong Anopheles-specific lure to ensure the maximum number of captures. Previous studies have...

Diarrhea-associated viruses are common causes of morbidity in humans in developing countries; however, they have seldom been studied in wild primates despite their pathogenic and zoonotic potential. This is of particular concern in Madagascar, one of the world’s poorest and most biodiverse countries. To improve our understanding of diarrhea-associa...

Mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.) are an exciting new primate model for understanding human aging and disease. In captivity, Microcebus murinus develops human-like ailments of old age after five years (e.g., neurodegeneration analogous to Alzheimer's disease) but can live beyond 12 years. It is believed that wild Microcebus follow a similar pattern of...

Primate tourism is a growing phenomenon, with increasing pressure coming from several directions: the private sector, governments, and conservation agencies. At the same time, some primate sites are working to exclude or severely restrict tourism because of problems that have developed as a result. Indeed, tourism has proven costly to primates due...

Among the families of enteric bacteria are globally important diarrheal agents. Despite their potential for zoonotic and environmental transmission, few studies have examined the epidemiology of these pathogens in rural systems characterized by extensive overlap among humans, domesticated and peridomestic animals. We investigated patterns of infect...

COMMENTARY: LETTERS - BOOKS - POLICY FORUM - EDUCATION FORUM - PERSPECTIVES (edited by Jennifer Sills).

Evolution is a long-term and often stochastic process. Thus, understanding the evolutionary history of long-lived animals such as primates, as well as the complex ecosystems in which they interact, requires both collaborative and integrative research that spans several decades of behavioral, ecological, and climatic observations. Unfortunately, whi...

The most threatened mammal group on Earth, Madagascar's five endemic lemur families (lemurs are found nowhere else) (1), represent more than 20% of the world's primate species and 30% of family-level diversity. This combination of diversity and uniqueness is unmatched by any other country—remarkable considering that Madagascar is only 1.3 to 2.9% t...