Tubby Tails | The Fattening of a Hibernating Lemur

Holiday weight gain: It’s a real thing in this season of bread stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Many of us haven’t yet looked up from the pantry or holiday table to consider what all those extra calories can do to our waistlines. But one group of creatures at the Duke Lemur Center has been overindulging and plumping up for weeks already, and they’re not the least bit guilty about it.

Since August, the center’s 42 fat-tailed dwarf lemurs have been busy gorging themselves to pack on the pounds they need to survive their winter hibernation.

These squirrel-sized primates are our closest genetic relatives known to hibernate for extended periods of time. By studying how they withstand months of inactivity and yo-yo weight gain with no ill effects, researchers hope to find lessons for humans dealing with prolonged bed rest, diabetes and other challenges to metabolic health.

CITATION: "Of Fruits and Fats: High-Sugar Diets Restore Fatty Acid Profiles in the White Adipose Tissue of Captive Dwarf Lemurs," M. B. Blanco, L. K. Greene, L. N. Ellsaesser, B. Schopler, M. Davison, C. Ostrowski, P. H. Klopfer, J. Fietz and E. E. Ehmke. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, June 15, 2022. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0598

Text by Robin Smith
Video by Veronique Koch and Luna Abadia

Song "Sleep" by SAILR

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