Until recently, giant lemurs existed in Madagascar. Although they are only represented by subfossil remains, they were modern forms. They were larger than the extant forms, and are counted as part of the rich lemur diversity that has evolved in isolation for up to 60 million years. All but one species of giant lemur were thought to be active in the day, and all but one were found on the east coast of the island.
About Subfossil lemur in brief
Until recently, giant lemurs existed in Madagascar. Although they are only represented by subfossil remains, they were modern forms. They were larger than the extant forms, and are counted as part of the rich lemur diversity that has evolved in isolation for up to 60 million years. Humans first arrived on Madagascar around that time and hunting likely played a role in the rapid decline of the lemur and the other megafauna that once existed on the large island. Oral traditions and recent reports of sightings by Malagasy villagers have been interpreted by some as suggesting either lingering populations or very recent extinctions. The largest species were among the largest primates ever to have evolved, including the smallest species alive today. All of the extinct lemur remains range from approximately 26,000 to around 500,000 years BP. The remains of all or most species dating within the last 2,000 years were found in eastern rainforests and the Sambirano domain, except for the giant aye-aye, which is thought to have lived during the day. All but one species of giant lemur were thought to be active in the day, and all but one were found on the east coast of the island. Despite their size, the giant le murs shared many features with living lemurring, including rapid development, poor day vision, relatively small brains, and female-dominated hierarchies. They also had a tendency to rely on terrestrial locomotion, slow climbing, and suspension instead of leaping, as well as a greater dependence on leaf-eating and seed predation.
Their remains have been found in most parts of the eastern rainforest except for forests, where no sub fossil sites are known to have been discovered. Due to their larger size, their subfOSSil remains have evolved to be larger than their extinct species. All or most of the subf Fossil lemurred remains were found near the eastern coast of Madagascar, and the remains of some species were found as far south as the island’s north-east coast. The subf fossil remains of living species are larger and more robust than the skeletal remains of modern specimens. They range in size from slightly over 10 kg to roughly 160 kg. Extinct species are estimated to have ranged in size between slightly over10 kg and roughly 20 kg. All subf Possil lemur remains were larger than living species, weighing 10 kg or more, and one species may have weighed as much as 160 kg. All but. one species, the Giant aye aye, is thought to have been active during the day during the days. They filled ecological niches that no longer exist now left unoccupied, including seed dispersal for plants with large seeds. The giant lemurs likely filled ecological niches now left vacant, particularly seed dispersal for plants with large seeds and leaf eating.
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This page is based on the article Subfossil lemur published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 07, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
