Are protected areas really protecting lemurs? A look at the genetic diversity in and around Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar Toni Lyn Morelli1 1Department of Ecology & Evolution, Stony Brook University Abstract A principal strategy in conserving endangered species has been to maintain isolated areas of habitat that are protected from human development. This approach has been highly successful in some areas; for example, in Madagascar, most of the remaining forests are contained in national parks and special reserves. However, little research has investigated how barriers such as reserve boundaries and roads impact the cohesion of primate populations. Since the newest management techniques focus on corridors and connectivity between protected areas, as well as the dynamics of metapopulations, research on the impact of natural and artificial barriers on gene flow is particularly important. We analyzed heterozygosity levels and tested for Hardy Weinberg equilibria within and between populations of 3 rainforest lemur species, Propithecus edwardsi (n=94), Eulemur rubriventer (n=24), and Hapalemur griseus griseus (n=33), using 20 species-specific polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci. We examined populations found both within Ranomafana National Park in southeastern Madagascar and outside its protected boundaries, with at least 10 conspecifics examined in each population. Results indicate that barriers such as roads and rivers impact the movement of genes between adjacent populations, with differences in population differentiation potentially reflecting differences in species-specific behavior and locomotion. This study will provide baseline data for the genetic health of Malagasy prosimians as well as aid future management strategies to maximize heterozygosity in endangered lemurs.