Sub-fossil lemurs^{3, 2, 1}

There are few, if any recent lemur fossils in Madagascar; however, there is a large selection of very recent unfossilized skeletal remains called sub-fossils. The bones have been dated to between 500 and 26,000 years before present. Sixteen species have been found so far, most have gone extinct within the last 2000 years, coincident with the arrival of humans on the island.

The extinct species are all large, arboreal and all (with the possible exception of D. robusta) are thought to have been diurnal. Interestingly they seem to have filled ecological niches which no current species fills, and indeed which no primate fills.

Order Primates, Suborder: Prosimii/Strepsirrhini, Infraorder: Lemuriformes

• Superfamily: Lemuroidea
  Family Lemuridae
     Subfamily Lemurianae

  • Genus Pachylemur

    • P. jullyi
      P. insignis

      Thought to mass about 8-10kg. These are believed to have led a life style similar to Varecia (and indeed have been classed in that genus) based on teeth patterns and limb length.

      
      P. insignis (labelled Lemur insignis, the taxonomy has changed)^P1

  Superfamily: Indrioidea
  Family Archaeolemuridae

  • Genus Archaeolemur

    • A. majori
      A. edwardsi

      Thought to mass 15-25kg. Thought to be semi-terrestrial quadrupeds, leading a baboon like life-style. The teeth indicate a diet of fruits and seeds.

      
      A. majori^P2

  • Genus Hadropithecus

    • H. stenognathus

      Thought to mass about 17kg. Thought to be even more terrestrial than Archaeolemur, feeding primarily on grasses and seeds.

• Family Palaeopropithecidae

  • Genus Palaeopropithecus

    • P. ingens
      P. maximus

      Thought to mass 40-55kg. Appears to have had a sloth-like life-style. Sub-fossils as recent as 500 years B.P. have been found.

  • Genus Archaeoindris

    • A. fontoynomtii

      Thought to mass about 200kg. The skeleton suggests a gorilla like life-style, though the humerus and femur indicate the animal may have been partly scansorial.

  • Genus Babakotia

    • B. radfilai

      Thought to mass about 15kg. Thought to have been more suspensory and less of a leaper than Indri.

  • Genus Mesopropithecus

    • M. globiceps
      M. pithecoides
      M. dolichobrachion

      Thought to mass about 10kg. Arboreal quadrupeds. Genus

• Family Megaladapidae
     Subfamily Megaladapinae

  • Genus Megaladapis
      Subgenus Megaladapis

    • M. madagascariensis
      M. grandidieri

      Thought to mass 35-70kg. The teeth suggest that these enormous animals fed on leaves like their much smaller cousins the lepilemurs. The limbs and digits suggest that they were vertical clingers and climbers, but they could also descend to the ground where they moved quadrupedally.

      Subgenus Peloriadapis

    • M. edwardsi

      Thought to mass in excess of 75kg. The teeth again suggest a folivorous diet. The limbs are those of a vertical clinger, however, its range of motion was much reduced from its cogeners above.

      
      M. edwardsi^P3

• Family Daubentoniidae

  • Genus Daubentonia

    • D. robusta

      Thought to mass about 10kg (compared to 2~3kg for D. madagascariensis). This is the only genus that contains both an extinct and an extant species. The skeleton suggests that this animal behaved similarly to the Aye-aye.

-- RNP Main -- Lemur Taxonomy -- Comments -- Copyright --

¹ Mittermeier, et al, 1994, Lemurs of Madagascar, Conservation International

² Tattersal, 1982, The Primates of Madagascar,

³ Garbutt, N. 1999, Mammals of Madagascar, Yale University Press

^P2 Archaeolemur majori skeleton from Parc Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo, Madagascar. Photographed by George Williams, 1999.

^P3 Megaladapis edwardsi skeleton from Parc Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo, Madagascar. Photographed by George Williams, 1999.