Looking Ahead: Predicting the Possible Ecological and Physiological Response of Galago Moholi to Environmental Change

Abstract

AbstractLarge scale changes to the natural environment, due to both climate change and direct human activities (e.g., urbanization), pose a great risk to biodiversity. As this realization has set in, the number of studies modelling and monitoring the effect of environmental change on species response and survival has increased significantly; however, these studies focus on flagship species, often neglecting the lesser-known, cryptic species, which include the nocturnal primates. This is especially true for the 20 species of galago who, despite their large distribution throughout Africa, have had little to no research conducted on the effect of environmental change on population fitness and long-term survival. With urbanization set to increase throughout their distribution range, along with an increase in climate change parameters (e.g., increased temperature and a decrease in annual rainfall), the most studied species of the family, namely the African lesser bushbaby Galago moholi, provides an ideal model to assess the impact of future environmental change on galago species. In this review, we discuss the possible impact of environmental change on G. moholi and specifically focus on the effect of environmental change on feeding ecology, genetics, thermal biology, and reproduction, all of which contribute to the fitness and survival of the species. We also highlight the need for specific, long-term research to be conducted on the effect of environmental change on the survival likelihood of G. moholi and other galago species.