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Most lemuroid species are at risk of extinction, with 45 species categorized as endangered, and a further 32 species categorized as critically endangered. Range of all lemur species. The 107 extant species of Lemuroidea are divided into five families. Cheirogaleidae contains 41 dwarf, mouse, and fork-marked lemur species in five genera.
Megaladapis, informally known as the koala lemur, [1] [2] is an extinct genus of lemurs belonging to the family Megaladapidae, consisting of three species that once inhabited the island of Madagascar. The largest measured between 1.3 to 1.5 m (4 to 5 ft) in length.
Lemur species diversity increases as the number of tree species in an area increase and is also higher in forests that have been disturbed over undisturbed areas. [12] Evidence from the Subfossil records show that many of the now extinct lemurs actually lived in much drier climates than the currently extant lemurs.
Numerous animal species have disappeared from Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands as part of the ongoing Holocene extinction, driven by human activity. The famous dodo (Raphus cucullatus), last seen in 1662, was endemic to Mauritius. [3] All 17 extinct lemurs were giant lemurs larger than the extant lemurs.
Since the arrival of humans on the island around 2,000 years ago, over a dozen species of "giant lemurs" larger than living lemur species have become extinct, including the gorilla-sized Archaeoindris. Lemurs share many common basal primate traits, such as divergent digits on their hands and feet, and nails instead of claws (in most species).
A new study reports that the type of lemur that has stunning eyes could be extinct in a little more than a decade.
The ring-tailed lemur is an endangered species. Before people arrived in Madagascar around 2,000 years ago, the island was covered by forests. Today, approximately 80% of that forest land is gone.
Archaeolemur is an extinct genus of subfossil lemurs known from the Quaternary of Madagascar. [3] Archaeolemur is one of the most common and well-known of the extinct giant lemurs as hundreds of its bones have been discovered in fossil deposits across the island.