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The largest known subfossil lemur was Archaeoindris fontoynonti, a giant sloth lemur, which weighed more than a modern female gorilla. The extinction of the largest lemurs is often attributed to predation by humans and possibly habitat destruction . [ 2 ]
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.
Pachylemur is an extinct, giant lemur most closely related to the ruffed lemurs of genus Varecia.Two species are known, Pachylemur insignis and Pachylemur jullyi, although there is some doubt as to whether or not they may actually be the same species.
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. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] It was larger than any extant lemur, with a body mass of approximately 18.2–26.5 kg (40–58 lb), and is commonly reconstructed as the most frugivorous and ...
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).
The extinction of Madagascar's megafauna, including the giant lemurs, was one of the most recent in history, [17] with large lemur species like Palaeopropithecus ingens surviving until approximately 500 years ago [37] and one bone of the extinct Hippopotamus laloumena radiocarbon dated to about 100 years BP. [34]
Births of the greater bamboo lemur in captivity are extremely rare, and the park is the only zoological collection in the UK – and one of two worldwide – to have bred the species this year.
Like many other species of lemur, indri live in a female dominant society. The dominant female often will displace males to lower branches and poorer feeding grounds, and is typically the one to lead the group during travel. [22] It is common for groups to move 300–700 m daily, with most distance travelled midsummer in search of fruit.