Lemur

Lemurs ( LEE-mərz; from Latin lemurēs 'ghosts, spirits of the dead') are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea ( LEM-yuu-ROY-dee-ə), divided into eight families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 extant species. They are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Most existing lemurs are small, with a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They usually 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 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 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 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...