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This behavior increases their fitness
This behavior increases their fitness
Percussive foraging is an evolved behavioral and morphological adaptation that allows Aye-Ayes to access energy-dense prey hidden in wood (Erickson et al., 1997). Being able to forage for invertebrates widens their food variety and reduces interspecific competition. There are no woodpeckers in Madagascar, so they have an advantage over other organisms with invertebrates in their diet. The Aye-Aye has a nocturnal and arboreal niche, combined with percussive foraging, that minimizes dietary overlap with other lemurs (Quinn & Wilson, 2004). By reducing foraging competition and improving food acquisition, this behavior directly enhances fitness, promoting survival and reproductive success in Madagascar.
They have larger brains that most Lemurs, resulting in higher levels of sensorimotor intelligence (Ramsier & Dominy, 2012). This unique behavior allows them to have a nutrient rich diet to fuel their larger brains.
(Rakotondrazandry et al., 2021)
Costs of this behavior
Costs of this behavior
Having a larger brain comes with a higher demand for more nutrients. They also show slow developmental trajectories: they need to spend more time learning when they are younger, resulting in leaving the nest far later than other species of lemurs (Rakotondrazandry et al., 2021). These downsides may negatively impact their fitness.
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