71-502: A sifaka ( / s ɪ ˈ f ɑː k ə / ; Malagasy pronunciation: [ˈsifakə̥] ) is a lemur of the genus Propithecus from the family Indriidae within the order Primates . The name of their family is an onomatopoeia of their characteristic "shi-fak" alarm call. Like all lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar . All species of sifakas are threatened , ranging from endangered to critically endangered . Sifakas are medium-sized indriids with
142-446: A Madagascar ground boa . A four- to five-month gestation period ends with the birth of a single offspring in July. The young holds fast to the mother's belly when small, but then later is carried on her back. Young are weaned after about six months and reach full maturity at the age of two to three years. The life expectancy of the sifakas is up to 20 years. Conservative estimates show that
213-488: A prehensile tail , a trait found only in New World monkeys , particularly atelids , among primates. Lemurs also rely heavily on their sense of smell, a trait shared with most other mammals and early primates, but not with the visually oriented higher primates. This sense of smell is important in terms of marking territory as well as provide an indication of whether or not another lemur is a viable breeding partner. Lemurs are
284-493: A rhinarium (or "wet nose"); a fully functional vomeronasal organ , which detects pheromones ; a postorbital bar and the lack of postorbital closure (a wall of thin bone behind the eye); orbits (bony sockets that enclose the eye) that are not fully facing forward; left and right mandible (lower jaw) bones that are not fully fused; and a small brain-to-body mass ratio . Additional traits shared with other prosimian primates (strepsirrhine primates and tarsiers ) include
355-421: A toilet-claw on its second toe and a toothcomb . Sifakas move by vertical clinging and leaping, meaning they maintain an upright position leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk and moving along branches. They are skillful climbers and powerful jumpers, able to make leaps up to 10 m (32.8 ft) from one tree to the next. On the ground, they move like all indrids, with bipedal, sideways hopping movements of
426-410: A bicornuate (two-horned) uterus and epitheliochorial placentation . Because their thumbs are only pseudo-opposable, making their movement less independent of the other fingers, their hands are less than perfect at grasping and manipulating objects. On their feet, they have a widely abducted hallux (first toe) which facilitates the grasping of tree limbs. A common misconception is that lemurs have
497-452: A different ocean gyre , producing currents that ran counter to what they are today. The ocean currents were shown to be even stronger than today, which would have pushed a raft along faster, shortening the trip to 30 days or less—short enough for a small mammal to survive easily. As the continental plates drifted northward, the currents gradually changed, and by 20 mya the window for oceanic dispersal had closed, effectively isolating
568-479: A diverse group of primates in terms of morphology and physiology. Some lemurs, such as the sportive lemurs and indriids , have longer hind limbs than forelimbs , making them excellent leapers . Indriids also have a specialized digestive system for folivory , exhibiting enlarged salivary glands , a spacious stomach , and an elongated caecum (lower gut) that facilitates fermentation . The hairy-eared dwarf lemur ( Allocebus trichotis ) reportedly has
639-439: A four-tooth toothcomb due to the loss of either a pair of canines or incisors. Because the lower canine is either included in the toothcomb or lost, the lower dentition can be difficult to read, especially since the first premolar (P2) is often shaped like a canine (caniniform) to fill the canine's role. In folivorous (leaf-eating) lemurs, except for indriids, the upper incisors are greatly reduced or absent. Used together with
710-474: A functional strepsirrhine toothcomb. In the case of the aye-aye, the morphology of the deciduous incisors, which are lost shortly after birth, indicates that its ancestors had a toothcomb. These milk teeth are lost shortly after birth and are replaced by open-rooted, continually growing ( hypselodont ) incisors. The toothcomb in lemurs normally consists of six teeth (four incisors and two canines), although indriids, monkey lemurs, and some sloth lemurs only have
781-478: A head and body length of 40 to 55 cm (16 to 22 in) and a weight of 3 to 6 kg (6.6 to 13.2 lb). Their tail is just as long as their body, which differentiates them from the Indri . Their fur is long and silky, with coloration varying by species from yellowish-white to blackish-brown. Their round, hairless face is always black. As with all lemurs, the sifaka has special adaptations for grooming , including
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#1733085315658852-487: A highly mobile, filiform (filament-shaped) middle finger for extracting food from tiny holes; large, bat -like ears for detecting hollow spaces within trees; and use of self-generated acoustical cues to forage. Lemurs are unusual since they have great variability in their social structure, yet generally lack sexual dimorphism in size and canine tooth morphology. However, some species tend towards having larger females, and two species of true lemur (genus Eulemur ),
923-471: A hundred taxonomic publications. Such descriptions typically result from either the discovery of organisms with unique combinations of characters that do not fit existing families, or from phylogenetic analyses that reveal the need for reclassification. The taxonomic term familia was first used by French botanist Pierre Magnol in his Prodromus historiae generalis plantarum, in quo familiae plantarum per tabulas disponuntur (1689) where he called
994-666: A lack of widespread consensus within the scientific community for extended periods. The continual publication of new data and diverse opinions plays a crucial role in facilitating adjustments and ultimately reaching a consensus over time. The naming of families is codified by various international bodies using the following suffixes: Name changes at the family level are regulated by the codes of nomenclature. For botanical families, some traditional names like Palmae ( Arecaceae ), Cruciferae ( Brassicaceae ), and Leguminosae ( Fabaceae ) are conserved alongside their standardized -aceae forms due to their historical significance and widespread use in
1065-592: A level of species diversity rivaling that of any other primate group. Living lemurs range in weight from the 30-gram (1.1 oz) mouse lemur to the 9-kilogram (20 lb) indri . 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). However, their brain-to-body size ratio
1136-435: A more thorough analysis. Lemurs vary greatly in size. They include the smallest primates in the world and, until recently, also included some of the largest. They currently range in size from about 30 g (1.1 oz) for Madame Berthe's mouse lemur ( Microcebus berthae ) up to 7–9 kg (15–20 lb) for the indri ( Indri indri ) and diademed sifaka ( Propithecus diadema ). One recently extinct species rivaled
1207-509: A significant practical role in biological education and research. They provide an efficient framework for teaching taxonomy, as they group organisms with general similarities while remaining specific enough to be useful for identification purposes. For example, in botany, learning the characteristics of major plant families helps students identify related species across different geographic regions, since families often have worldwide distribution patterns. In many groups of organisms, families serve as
1278-415: A very long tongue , allowing it to feed on nectar . Likewise, the red-bellied lemur ( Eulemur rubriventer ) has a feathery brush-shaped tongue, also uniquely adapted to feed on nectar and pollen. The aye-aye has evolved some traits that are unique among primates, making it stand out among the lemurs. Such traits include continuously growing, rodent-like front teeth for gnawing through wood and hard seeds;
1349-435: A wide variety of fruits and leaves, while some are specialists. Two species of lemurs may coexist in the same forest due to different diets. Lemur research during the 18th and 19th centuries focused on taxonomy and specimen collection. Modern studies of lemur ecology and behavior did not begin in earnest until the 1950s and 1960s. Initially hindered by political issues on Madagascar during the mid-1970s, field studies resumed in
1420-655: Is basal to all Lemuriformes, and in 2008, Russell Mittermeier, Colin Groves, and others ignored addressing higher-level taxonomy by defining lemurs as monophyletic and containing five living families, including Daubentoniidae. Relationships among lemur families have also proven to be problematic and have yet to be definitively resolved. To further complicate the issue, several Paleogene fossil primates from outside Madagascar, such as Bugtilemur , have been classified as lemurs. However, scientific consensus does not accept these assignments based on genetic evidence, and therefore it
1491-496: Is commonly referred to as the "walnut family". The delineation of what constitutes a family—or whether a described family should be acknowledged—is established and decided upon by active taxonomists . There are not strict regulations for outlining or acknowledging a family, yet in the realm of plants, these classifications often rely on both the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of plant species. Taxonomists frequently hold varying perspectives on these descriptions, leading to
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#17330853156581562-595: Is generally accepted that the Malagasy primates are monophyletic. Another area of contention is the relationship between the sportive lemurs and the extinct koala lemurs (Megaladapidae). Formerly grouped in the same family due to similarities in dentition, they are no longer considered to be closely related due to genetic studies. More taxonomic changes have occurred at the genus level, although these revisions have proven more conclusive, often supported by genetic and molecular analysis. The most noticeable revisions included
1633-670: Is highest in the rainforests of the east coast. Despite their adaptations for weathering extreme adversity, habitat destruction and hunting have resulted in lemur populations declining sharply, and their diversity has diminished, with the recent extinction of at least 17 species in eight genera, known collectively as the subfossil lemurs . Most of the approximately 100 species and subspecies of lemur are either threatened or endangered. Unless trends change, extinctions are likely to continue. Until recently, giant lemurs existed on Madagascar. Now represented only by recent or subfossil remains, they were modern forms that were once part of
1704-516: Is now used in the colloquial sense in reference to all Malagasy primates. Lemur taxonomy is controversial, and not all experts agree, particularly with the recent increase in the number of recognized species. According to Russell Mittermeier , the president of Conservation International (CI), taxonomist Colin Groves , and others, there are nearly 100 recognized species or subspecies of extant (or living) lemur, divided into five families and 15 genera. Because genetic data indicates that
1775-480: Is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy . It is classified between order and genus . A family may be divided into subfamilies , which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae , but that family
1846-506: Is smaller than that of anthropoid primates. As with all strepsirrhine primates, they have a "wet nose" ( rhinarium ). Lemurs are generally the most social of the strepsirrhine primates, living in groups known as troops. They communicate more with scents and vocalizations than with visual signals. Lemurs have a relatively low basal metabolic rate , and as a result may exhibit dormancy such as hibernation or torpor . They also have seasonal breeding and female social dominance . Most eat
1917-569: The Prodromus of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle and the Genera Plantarum of George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker this word ordo was used for what now is given the rank of family. Families serve as valuable units for evolutionary, paleontological, and genetic studies due to their relatively greater stability compared to lower taxonomic levels like genera and species. Families play
1988-504: The Eocene (56 to 34 mya ) or Paleocene (66 to 56 mya). Adapiforms, however, lack a specialized arrangement of teeth, known as a toothcomb , which nearly all living strepsirrhines possess. A more recent hypothesis is that lemurs descended from lorisoids (loris-like) primates. This is supported by comparative studies of the cytochrome b gene and the presence of the strepsirrhine toothcomb in both groups. Instead of being
2059-657: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers lemurs to be the world's most endangered mammals, noting that as of 2013 up to 90% of all lemur species confront the threat of extinction in the wild within the next 20 to 25 years. Ring-tailed lemurs are an iconic flagship species . Collectively, lemurs exemplify the biodiverse fauna of Madagascar and have facilitated the emergence of eco-tourism . In addition, conservation organizations increasingly seek to implement community-based approaches to save lemur species and promote sustainability. Carl Linnaeus ,
2130-583: The Mozambique Channel , a deep channel between Africa and Madagascar with a minimum width of about 560 km (350 mi). In 1915, paleontologist William Diller Matthew noted that the mammalian biodiversity on Madagascar (including lemurs) can only be accounted for by random rafting events , where very small populations rafted from nearby Africa on tangled mats of vegetation, which get flushed out to sea from major rivers. This form of biological dispersal can occur randomly over millions of years. In
2201-471: The gorilla in size, at 160–200 kg (350–440 lb) for Archaeoindris fontoynonti . Like all primates, lemurs have five divergent digits with nails (in most cases) on their hands and feet. Most lemurs possess a laterally compressed, elongated nail, called a toilet-claw , on the second toe and use it for scratching and grooming. In addition to the toilet-claw, lemurs share a variety of other traits with other strepsirrhine primates, which include
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2272-416: The gray-headed lemur ( E. albocollaris ) and the red lemur ( E. rufus ), exhibit size differences in canine teeth. True lemurs show sexual dichromatism (sexual differences in fur coloration), but the difference between the genders varies from strikingly obvious, as in the blue-eyed black lemur ( E. macaco ), to nearly imperceptible in the case of the common brown lemur ( E. fulvus ). Crypsis , or
2343-491: The red-bellied lemur and the common brown lemur . Successful invasions are known to result in death of male members, group takeover, and infanticide . Predators of the sifaka include the fossa , a puma-like mammal native to Madagascar, and aerial hunters such as hawks. The sifaka usually avoids these attacks with its agile acrobatics through the trees high above the ground. However, they have been known to attack by biting and scratching and have even been witnessed fighting off
2414-562: The superfamily Lemuroidea ( / l ɛ m j ʊ ˈ r ɔɪ d i ə / lem-yuurr- OY -dee-ə ), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species . They are endemic to the island of Madagascar . Most existing lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They chiefly live in trees and are active at night . Lemurs share resemblance with other primates , but evolved independently from monkeys and apes . Due to Madagascar's highly seasonal climate, lemur evolution has produced
2485-449: The toothcomb of most lemurs, the bottom incisors and canine teeth are procumbent (face forward rather than up) and finely spaced, thus providing a tool for either grooming or feeding. For instance, indri use their toothcomb not only for grooming, but also to pry out the large seeds from the tough epicarp of Beilschmiedia fruits, while fork-marked lemurs use their relatively long toothcomb to cut through tree bark to induce
2556-447: The -idae suffix for animal family names, derived from the Greek 'eidos' meaning 'resemblance' or 'like'. The adoption of this naming convention helped establish families as an important taxonomic rank. By the mid-1800s, many of Linnaeus's broad genera were being elevated to family status to accommodate the rapidly growing number of newly discovered species. In nineteenth-century works such as
2627-525: The 1940s, American paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson coined the term "sweepstakes hypothesis" for such random events. Rafting has since been the most accepted explanation for the lemur colonization of Madagascar, but until recently, this trip was thought to be very unlikely because strong ocean currents flow away from the island. In January 2010 , a report demonstrated that around 60 mya both Madagascar and Africa were 1,650 km (1,030 mi) south of their present-day positions, placing them in
2698-709: The 1980s. Lemurs are important for research because their mix of ancestral characteristics and traits shared with anthropoid primates can yield insights on primate and human evolution . Most species have been discovered or promoted to full species status since the 1990s; however, lemur taxonomic classification is controversial and depends on which species concept is used. Many lemur species remain endangered due to habitat loss and hunting. Although local traditions, such as fady , generally help protect lemurs and their forests, illegal logging , economic privation and political instability conspire to thwart conservation efforts. Because of these threats and their declining numbers,
2769-417: The adjacent image. Lemur taxonomy has changed significantly since the first taxonomic classification of lemurs by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. One of the greatest challenges has been the classification of the aye-aye, which has been a topic of debate up until very recently. Until Richard Owen published a definitive anatomical study in 1866, early naturalists were uncertain whether the aye-aye (genus Daubentonia )
2840-468: The arrival of humans roughly 1500 to 2000 years ago, lemurs were found all across the island. However, early settlers quickly converted the forests to rice paddies and grassland through slash-and-burn agriculture (known locally as tavy ), restricting lemurs to approximately 10% of the island's area, ~60,000 km (23,000 sq mi). Today, the diversity and complexity of lemur communities increases with floral diversity and precipitation and
2911-526: The aye-aye, and the extinct sloth lemurs , monkey lemurs , and koala lemurs have reduced dentitions, having lost incisors, canines, or premolars. The ancestral deciduous dentition is 2.1.3 2.1.3 , but young indriids, aye-ayes, koala lemurs, sloth lemurs, and probably monkey lemurs have fewer deciduous teeth. There are also noticeable differences in dental morphology and tooth topography between lemurs. Indri , for instance, have teeth that are perfectly adapted for shearing leaves and crushing seeds. In
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2982-455: The case of mouse lemurs, the gray mouse lemur ( M. murinus ), golden-brown mouse lemur ( M. ravelobensis ), and Goodman's mouse lemur ( M. lehilahytsara ) were considered the same species until recently, when genetic tests identified them as cryptic species. The lemur dentition is heterodont (having multiple tooth morphologies) and derives from an ancestral primate permanent dentition of 2.1.3.3 2.1.3.3 . Indriids, sportive lemurs,
3053-504: The direct ancestors of lemurs, the adapiforms may have given rise to both the lemurs and lorisoids, a split that would be supported by molecular phylogenetic studies. The later split between lemurs and lorises is thought to have occurred approximately 62 to 65 mya according to molecular studies, although other genetic tests and the fossil record in Africa suggest more conservative estimates of 50 to 55 mya for this divergence. However,
3124-564: The environment. Lemurs have adapted to fill many open ecological niches since making their way to Madagascar. Their diversity in both behavior and morphology (outward appearance) rivals that of the monkeys and apes found elsewhere in the world. Ranging in size from the 30 g (1.1 oz) Madame Berthe's mouse lemur , the world's smallest primate, to the recently extinct 160–200 kg (350–440 lb) Archaeoindris fontoynonti , lemurs evolved diverse forms of locomotion, varying levels of social complexity, and unique adaptations to
3195-416: The flow of tree sap . The toothcomb is kept clean by the sublingua or "under-tongue", a specialized structure that acts like a toothbrush to remove hair and other debris. The sublingua extends below the tip of the tongue and is tipped with keratinized , serrated points that rake between the front teeth. Only the aye-aye, the extinct giant aye-aye , and the largest of the extinct giant sloth lemurs lack
3266-466: The founder of modern binomial nomenclature , gave lemurs their name as early as 1758. With his declaration of the genus Lemur in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae , he included three species: Lemur tardigradus (the red slender loris , now known as Loris tardigradus ), Lemur catta (the ring-tailed lemur ), and Lemur volans (the Philippine colugo , now known as Cynocephalus volans ). Although
3337-421: The full range of lemur sizes. Daubentoniidae Lemuridae Indriidae Lepilemuridae Cheirogaleidae Daubentoniidae Lepilemuridae Cheirogaleidae Lemuridae † Megaladapidae Indriidae † Palaeopropithecidae † Archaeolemuridae From a taxonomic standpoint, the term "lemur" originally referred to the genus Lemur , which currently contains only the ring-tailed lemur . The term
3408-550: The gradual split of a broadly defined genus Lemur into separate genera for the ring-tailed lemur , ruffed lemurs , and brown lemurs due to a host of morphological differences. Due to several taxonomic revisions by Russell Mittermeier, Colin Groves, and others, the number of recognized lemur species has grown from 33 species and subspecies in 1994 to approximately 100 in 2008. With continuing cytogenetic and molecular genetic research, as well as ongoing field studies , particularly with cryptic species such as mouse lemurs,
3479-587: The hind legs, holding their fore limbs up for balance. Sifakas are diurnal and arboreal . Sifakas are herbivores , eating leaves, flowers, and fruits. When not searching for food, they spend a good part of the day sunbathing, stretched on the branches. Sifakas live in larger groups than the other indrids (up to 13 animals). They have a firm territory, which they mark with scent glands. Edges of different sifaka territories can overlap. Though they defend their territory from invasion by others of their species, they may peacefully co-exist with other lemur species such as
3550-425: The inability of humans to visually distinguish between two or more distinct species, has recently been discovered among lemurs, particularly within the sportive lemurs ( Lepilemur ) and mouse lemurs ( Microcebus ). With sportive lemurs, subspecies were traditionally defined based on slight morphological differences, but new genetic evidence has supported giving full species status to these regional populations. In
3621-460: The lemurs and the rest of the terrestrial Malagasy fauna from mainland Africa. Isolated on Madagascar with only a limited number of mammalian competitors, the lemurs did not have to compete with other evolving arboreal mammalian groups, such as squirrels . They were also spared from having to compete with monkeys , which evolved later. The intelligence, aggression, and deceptiveness of monkeys gave them an advantage over other primates in exploiting
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#17330853156583692-406: The literature. Family names are typically formed from the stem of a type genus within the family. In zoology, when a valid family name is based on a genus that is later found to be a junior synonym , the family name may be maintained for stability if it was established before 1960. In botany, some family names that were found to be junior synonyms have been conserved due to their widespread use in
3763-769: The local climate. Lemurs lack any shared traits that make them stand out from all other primates. Different types of lemurs have evolved unique combinations of unusual traits to cope with Madagascar's harsh, seasonal climate. These traits can include seasonal fat storage, hypometabolism (including torpor and hibernation ), small group sizes, low encephalization (relative brain size), cathemerality (activity both day and night), and strict breeding seasons . Extreme resource limitations and seasonal breeding are also thought to have given rise to three other relatively common lemur traits: female social dominance , sexual monomorphism, and male–male competition for mates involving low levels of agonism , such as sperm competition . Before
3834-445: The number of recognized lemur species is likely to keep growing. However, the rapid increase in the number of recognized species has had its critics among taxonomists and lemur researchers. Since classifications ultimately depend on the species concept used, conservationists often favor definitions that result in the splitting of genetically distinct populations into separate species to gain added environmental protection. Others favor
3905-484: The oldest lemur fossils on Madagascar are actually subfossils dating to the Late Pleistocene . 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). Since ancestral lemurs are thought to have originated in Africa around 62 to 65 mya, they must have crossed
3976-907: The primary level for taxonomic identification keys, making them particularly valuable for field guides and systematic work as they often represent readily recognizable groups of related organisms with shared characteristics. In ecological and biodiversity research, families frequently serve as the foundational level for identification in survey work and environmental studies. This is particularly useful because families often share life history traits or occupy similar ecological niches . Some families show strong correlations between their taxonomic grouping and ecological functions, though this relationship varies among different groups of organisms. The stability of family names has practical importance for applied biological work, though this stability faces ongoing challenges from new scientific findings. Modern molecular studies and phylogenetic analyses continue to refine
4047-417: The recently extinct subfossil lemurs were closely related to living lemurs, an additional three families, eight genera, and 17 species can be included in the total. In contrast, other experts have labeled this as taxonomic inflation , instead preferring a total closer to 50 species. The classification of lemurs within the suborder Strepsirrhini is equally controversial, although most experts agree on
4118-656: The rest of the lemurs were placed in Lemuriformes and the lorisoids in Lorisiformes. Although it is generally agreed that the aye-aye is the most basal member of the lemur clade, the relationship between the other four families is less clear since they diverged during a narrow 10 to 12 million-year window between the Late Eocene (42 mya) and into the Oligocene (30 mya). The two main competing hypotheses are shown in
4189-640: The rich lemur diversity that has evolved in isolation. Some of their adaptations were unlike those seen in their living relatives. All 17 extinct lemurs were larger than the extant (living) forms, some weighing as much as 200 kg (440 lb), and are thought to have been active during the day. Not only were they unlike the living lemurs in both size and appearance, they also filled ecological niches that either no longer exist or are now left unoccupied. Large parts of Madagascar, which are now devoid of forests and lemurs, once hosted diverse primate communities that included more than 20 lemur species covering
4260-451: The same phylogenetic tree . In one taxonomy, the infraorder Lemuriformes contains all living strepsirrhines in two superfamilies, Lemuroidea for all lemurs and Lorisoidea for the lorisoids ( lorisids and galagos). Alternatively, the lorisoids are sometimes placed in their own infraorder, Lorisiformes, separate from the lemurs. In another taxonomy published by Colin Groves, the aye-aye was placed in its own infraorder, Chiromyiformes, while
4331-486: The scientific literature. The family-group in zoological nomenclature includes several ranks: superfamily (-oidea), family (-idae), subfamily (-inae), and tribe (-ini). Under the principle of coordination, a name established at any of these ranks can be moved to another rank while retaining its original authorship and date, requiring only a change in suffix to reflect its new rank. New family descriptions are relatively rare in taxonomy, occurring in fewer than one in
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#17330853156584402-567: The seventy-six groups of plants he recognised in his tables families ( familiae ). The concept of rank at that time was not yet settled, and in the preface to the Prodromus Magnol spoke of uniting his families into larger genera , which is far from how the term is used today. In his work Philosophia Botanica published in 1751, Carl Linnaeus employed the term familia to categorize significant plant groups such as trees , herbs , ferns , palms , and so on. Notably, he restricted
4473-599: The term lemur was first intended for slender lorises , it was soon limited to the endemic Malagasy primates, which have been known as collectively "lemurs" ever since. The name lemur is derived from the Latin term lemures , which refers to specters or ghosts that were exorcised during the Lemuria festival of ancient Rome. Linnaeus was familiar with the works of Virgil and Ovid , both of whom mentioned lemures. Seeing an analogy that fit with his naming scheme, he adapted
4544-906: The term lemur was selected because of the nocturnal activity and slow movements of the red slender loris: Lemures dixi hos, quod noctu imprimis obambulant, hominibus quodanmodo similes, & lento passu vagantur. I call them lemurs, because they go around mainly by night, in a certain way similar to humans, and roam with a slow pace. Lemurs are primates belonging to the suborder Strepsirrhini . Like other strepsirrhine primates , such as lorises , pottos , and galagos , they share ancestral (or plesiomorphic ) traits with early primates. In this regard, lemurs are popularly confused with ancestral primates; however, lemurs did not give rise to monkeys and apes ( simians ). Instead, they evolved independently in isolation on Madagascar . All modern strepsirrhines including lemurs are traditionally thought to have evolved from early primates known as adapiforms during
4615-515: The term "lemur" for these nocturnal primates. It was noted in 2012 that many sources had commonly and falsely assumed that Linnaeus was referring to the ghost-like appearance, reflective eyes , and ghostly cries of Madagascar's lemurs when he selected the name. Up until then, it had also been speculated that Linnaeus may also have known that some Malagasy people believed that lemurs were the souls of their ancestors . However, both claims were discredited since according to Linnaeus' own explanation,
4686-642: The toothcomb on the mandible (lower jaw), this complex is reminiscent of an ungulate browsing pad . Lemurs are unusual among primates for their rapid dental development, particularly among the largest species. For example, indriids have relatively slow body growth but extremely fast tooth formation and eruption . By contrast, anthropoid primates exhibit slower dental development with increased size and slower morphological development. Lemurs are also dentally precocious at birth, and have their full permanent dentition at weaning . Family (biology) Family ( Latin : familia , pl. : familiae )
4757-556: The use of this term solely within the book's morphological section, where he delved into discussions regarding the vegetative and generative aspects of plants. Subsequently, in French botanical publications, from Michel Adanson 's Familles naturelles des plantes (1763) and until the end of the 19th century, the word famille was used as a French equivalent of the Latin ordo (or ordo naturalis ). The family concept in botany
4828-564: The utilization of fire for slash and burn cultivation, cattle raising, logging, and mining activities has contributed to the loss of 52% of the forested land since the 1950s, impacting the survival of sifakas. For instance, Perrier's sifaka relies solely on vast forest cover, so little to no institutions are addressing these threats or the species' conservation status. Lemur Lemurs ( / ˈ l iː m ər / LEE -mər ; from Latin lemures lit. ' ghosts ' or ' spirits ' ) are wet-nosed primates of
4899-416: Was a primate , rodent , or marsupial . However, the placement of the aye-aye within the order Primates remained problematic until very recently. Based on its anatomy, researchers have found support for classifying the genus Daubentonia as a specialized indriid , a sister group to all strepsirrhines, and as an indeterminate taxon within the order Primates. Molecular tests have now shown Daubentoniidae
4970-412: Was further developed by the French botanists Antoine Laurent de Jussieu and Michel Adanson . Jussieu's 1789 Genera Plantarum divided plants into 100 'natural orders,' many of which correspond to modern plant families. However, the term 'family' did not become standardized in botanical usage until after the mid-nineteenth century. In zoology , the family as a rank intermediate between order and genus
5041-435: Was introduced by Pierre André Latreille in his Précis des caractères génériques des insectes, disposés dans un ordre naturel (1796). He used families (some of them were not named) in some but not in all his orders of "insects" (which then included all arthropods ). The standardization of zoological family names began in the early nineteenth century. A significant development came in 1813 when William Kirby introduced
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