Lana Kerker Oliver
I study the behavior and ecology of two sympatric lemur species, the indri (Indri indri) and diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema) in a rainforest in northeast Madagascar. These species are ecologically and phylogenetically similar and coexist throughout much of their species range. They coexist throughout much of their species range. Both are considered anatomical folivores and, as such, present a rare opportunity to investigate how two sympatric primates with similar feeding patterns are able to overlap both spatially and temporally. 
My research objectives are to expand our knowledge of each species' habitat preferences in order to illustrate how the differences in ecology, social structure and behavior are interrelated to allow each species to exploit their specific ecological niche while maintaining coexistence. I have generated a novel data set that I am using to provide both unique and comparative data on group size, diet, ranging patterns, activity patterns and group demography of these two indriid species. I demonstrate this by: 1) discussing behavioral and ecological data analyses in relation to seasonal fluctuations in resource availability in a rainforest reserve on Madagascar’s east coast, where the two species are sympatric; 2) quantifying the effects of resource distribution and availability on each species' ranging behavior through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis; 3) comparing resource use with other study sites to examine intraspecific differences in dietary niche breadth and food selection strategies. 
