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Archaeoindris fontoynontii is an extinct giant lemur and the largest primate known to have evolved on Madagascar, comparable in size to a male gorilla.It belonged to a family of extinct lemurs known as "sloth lemurs" (Palaeopropithecidae) and, because of its extremely large size, it has been compared to the ground sloths that once roamed North and South America.
Fossil evidence for the evolution of the toothcomb, a trait shared by lemurs with their closest relatives, the lorisoids, provides insight into both the evolutionary history of strepsirrhines and the lemur colonization of Madagascar. Lemurs were traditionally thought to have evolved during the Eocene (55 to 37 mya) based on the fossil record ...
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.
However, the oldest lemur fossils on Madagascar are actually subfossils dating to the Late Pleistocene. [2] Once part of the supercontinent Gondwana, the island of Madagascar has been isolated since it broke away from eastern Africa (~160 mya), Antarctica (~80–130 mya), and India (~80–90 mya).
Although there are more than 100 species of lemurs, the ring-tailed lemur is arguably the most well-known thanks to King Julien in the hit children’s film Madagascar. His need to “move it ...
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.
Ampasambazimba is a mountain peak and subfossil site in Madagascar, near Analavory, most known for being the site of the remains of the extinct giant sloth lemur Archaeoindris. Ampasambazimba is located at 1,036 meters above sea level. [3] It was discovered in 1902 by Monsieur Raybaud, a colonial administrator at the time.
The highly seasonal dry deciduous forest of Madagascar alternates between dry and wet seasons, making it uniquely suitable for lemurs. 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 ]