Know Your Primate: Archaeolemur majori

Order: Primates Suborder: Strepsirrhini Infraorder: Lemuriformes Family: Archaeolemuridae Genus: Archaeolemur Species: Archaeolemur majori Archaeolemurs are extinct lemurs from the island of Madagascar. They were quadrupedal frugivores that exploited both terrestrial and aboreal environments. (Picture source: Tattersall 1973 Cranial Anatomy Of The Archaeolemurinae (Lemouroidea, Primates), Anthropological Papers of the AMNH, Vol 52, Part I)

Know Your Primate:Varecia variegata

In honor of those who have delurked here is another installment of my long neglected Know Your Primate series.

Cool Science News: Pygmy Tarsiers and Fossil Lemurs

I was planning on writing about the new Homo erectus pelvis but when I got home I discovered a crisis – Firefox gave me error messages and wouldn’t open (which meant no bookmarks and hence no access to anything important like this blog). Spent about an hour getting that straightened out. I’ll get the H. [...]

Saturday Know Your Primate: Hapalemur griseus

Order: Primates Suborder: Strepsirrhini Family: Lemuridae Genus: Hapalemur Species: Hapalemur griseus Common: Gentle Bamboo Lemur According to Walker’s Primates of the World there are three species in the genus Hapalemur, however the ADW lists four.

Know Your Primate: Lepilemur mustelinus

Order: Primates Suborder: Strepsirrhini Family: Lepilemuridae Genus: Lepilemur Species: Lepilemur mustelinus Common Name: Weasel or Sportive Lemur The genus Lepilemur contains anywhere from one to eight species – depending on who you talk to. Sportive lemurs live in deciduous forests in Madagascar and are nocturnal and folivorous.

Know Your Primate: Lemur catta

Order: Primates Suborder: Strepsirrhini Family: Lemuridae Genus: Lemur Species: Lemur catta Common name: Ring-Tailed Lemurs I must confess that I have a fondness for the lemurs – especially the ring-tailed lemurs.

Know Your Primate: Pachylemur insignis

Superfamily: Lemuroidea Family: Lemuridae Subfamily: Lemurianae Genus: Pachylemur Species: Pachylemur insignis The genus Pachylemur is, at present, composed of two species; Pachylemur insignis and Pachylemur jullyi .

Know Your Primate: Diademed Sifaka

Order: Primates Infraorder: Lemuriformes Family: Indriidae Subfamily: Indriinae Genus: Propithecus Species: Propithecus diadema Common Name: Diademed Sifaka The Indriinae are composed of eight genera, of which four are extinct. The genus Propithecus contains three species, with Propithecus diadema being the larger. Currently, Propithecus diadema is divided into four subspecies: Propithecus diadema diadema, Propithecus diadema edwardsi, [...]

Saturday Know Your Primate: Megaladapis edwardsi

Suborder: Strepsirrhini Infraorder: Lemuriformes Superfamily: Lemuroidea Family: Megaladapidae Species: Megaladapis edwardsi Madagascar is, and has been, home to a wide variety of interesting primates. Once upon a time, Madagascar was the home to several species of giant primates.

Friday Know Your Primate: Indris

Infraorder Lemuriformes Family Indriidae Subfamily Indriinae Genus Indris Species Indri Indri