Project description
Towards successful captive breeding practices for endangered primates
There are more than 500 primate species recognised worldwide. Almost half of them are classified as endangered or critically endangered. Many of them are preserved in modern zoos that serve as captive breeding ground, vital for primate conservation. The gentle lemur is one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, and currently showing a low success rate in captive breeding. The EU-funded EnPrim project is undertaking a multi-zoo survey that aims to identify and reproduce the female gentle lemur’s fertile chemical signature and then test its effects on mating success and welfare of captive troops. The project aims to use methods that integrate cutting-edge semiochemistry with established behavioural observations and faecal endocrinology as well as innovative faecal gut microbiota analysis.
Objective
Of 504 primate species currently recognized worldwide, almost half are classified as endangered or critically endangered. Captive breeding is vital for primate conservation, with modern zoos serving a crucial role as ambassadors of endangered species, breeders of populations acting as buffers against extinction, and educators of the general public. However, captive populations may experience welfare issues that also undermine their breeding success. Particularly, zoo management is challenging because of the mismatch between natural and captive environments. The aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is the only surviving species of the Daubentoniidae, the oldest family of the living lemurs, one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, and currently showing a low success rate in captive breeding. This multi-zoo project aims to identify and reproduce the female aye-aye’s fertile chemical signature and then test its effects on the breeding success and welfare of three captive troops. We will meet these goals using methods that integrate cutting-edge semiochemistry with established behavioural observations and faecal endocrinology as well as innovative faecal gut microbiota analysis. This novel project will provide findings which should also entail quantifiable impact, such as best practices adopted by target zoos and extended to other institutions through amendments in management policies released by the Studbook Keeper and the Taxon Advisory Group Coordinator for the study species. The complementary expertise of the Fellow and the supervisory team make this project feasible and highly multidisciplinary. The training provided by the supervisor and the host organisation will contribute significantly to the profile of the Fellow, adding new methodological and scientific competences as well as complementary skills which will be imperative for the Fellow’s future career as an independent researcher.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy primatology
- social sciences educational sciences didactics
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
WV1 1LY Wolverhampton
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.