Jonah Ratsimbazafy Explained

Jonah Ratsimbazafy
Fields:	Primatology
Nationality:	Malagasy
Alma Mater:	Stony Brook University
Thesis Title:	On the brink of extinction and the process of recovery: Responses of black and white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata variegata) to disturbance in Manombo Forest

Jonah Ratsimbazafy is a Malagasy primatologist. In 2020, he was appointed President of the International Primatological Society.

Life and research

Ratsimbazafy received his PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in Physical Anthropology in 2002, and afterwards became Training and Conservation Coordinator for Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Madagascar.^[1] He has published over 170 papers and supervised over 65 students, including 20 PhD students.^[2] His main field of study is lemur ecology and conservation.^[3]

Ratsimbazafy is Co-founder and President of the Madagascar Primate Study and Research Group (GERP),^[4] Houston Zoo's Director of Madagascar Programs,^[5] and Regional Vice-Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group for Madagascar.^[6] He is also one of the advisors of the Lemur Conservation Network^[7] and sits on the administrative board of SADABE, an NGO.^[8] In 2020, Ratsimbazafy was elected President of the International Primatological Society for a four-year term.^[9]

Honours and awards

In 2015, Ratsimbazafy was awarded Disney's Conservation Hero Award.^[10] In 2017, Ratsimbazafy was elected as a member of the African Academy of Sciences. In 2023, he was the recipient of the Seacology Prize, which is awarded annually to individuals with significant achievements in preserving island ecosystems, species, or cultures.^[11]

In 2020, a new species of mouse lemur, Microcebus jonahi, was named in honour to Jonah Ratsimbazafy.^{[12] [13]}

References

• Schüßler, D., Blanco, M. B., Salmona, J., Poelstra, J., Andriambeloson, J. B., Miller, A., ... & Radespiel, U. (2020). Ecology and morphology of mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.) in a hotspot of microendemism in northeastern Madagascar, with the description of a new species. American Journal of Primatology, 82(9), e23180. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajp.23180
• Poelstra, J. W., Salmona, J., Tiley, G. P., Schüßler, D., Blanco, M. B., Andriambeloson, J. B., ... & Yoder, A. D. (2021). Cryptic patterns of speciation in cryptic primates: microendemic mouse lemurs and the multispecies coalescent. Systematic Biology, 70(2), 203-218. https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article/70/2/203/5869053?login=true

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jonah Ratsimbazafy « NAP Expo 2016. 2020-06-08. en-US.
2. Web site: Ratsimbazafy Jonah The AAS. 2020-06-08. www.aasciences.africa.
3. Jones. Julia P. G.. Ratsimbazafy. Jonah. Ratsifandrihamanana. Anitry N.. Watson. James E. M.. Andrianandrasana. Herizo T.. Cabeza. Mar. Cinner. Joshua E.. Goodman. Steven M.. Hawkins. Frank. Mittermeier. Russell A.. Rabearisoa. Ando L.. 2019. Last chance for Madagascar's biodiversity. Nature Sustainability. en. 2. 5. 350–352. 10.1038/s41893-019-0288-0. 2019NatSu...2..350J . 159306389 . 2398-9629.
4. Web site: GERP. 2020-06-08. GERP. en-US.
5. Web site: Saving Lemurs in Madagascar through Empowering the Next Generation of Wildlife Saving Heroes, The Houston Zoo. 2020-06-08. www.houstonzoo.org. en-US.
6. Web site: Primates-SG - IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group. 2020-06-08. www.primate-sg.org. en.
7. Web site: Our Team. 2020-06-08. Lemur Conservation Network. en-US.
8. Web site: Sadabe - Team. 2020-06-08. www.sadabe.org.
9. Web site: Dr. Jonah Ratsimbazafy elected President of the International Primatology Society. 2020-06-08. Pat Wright Lab - Stony Brook University. en.
10. Web site: 2015-11-23. Disney Conservation Fund Announces 2015 Conservation Heroes. 2020-06-08. The Walt Disney Company. en-US.
11. https://www.seacology.org/2023/08/defender-of-madagascars-threatened-lemurs-to-receive-seacology-prize/
12. Schüßler et al., 2020.
13. Poelstra, Salmona, Tiley et al., 2021.