Lemur diversity in Madagascar
Abstract
A basic understanding of the taxonomy, diversity, and distributions of primates is
essential for their conservation. This review of the status of the taxonomy of lemurs
is based on a 5-d workshop entitled "Primate Taxonomy for the New Millennium," held
at the Disney Institute, Orlando, Florida, in February 2000. The aim is not to present
a taxonomic revision, but to review our current understanding of the diversity and
current and past ranges of lemurs and indicate where there is controversy, discrepancy,
or lack of knowledge. Our goal therefore is to provide a baseline for future taxonomic
investigation, as well as a clearer focus for research and conservation priorities.
We here focus on the lemurs of Madagascar and recognize 5 families, 15 genera, and
99 species and subspecies. We list 39 species of lemurs described since 2000: 2 dwarf
lemurs, Cheirogaleus; 11 mouse lemurs, Microcebus; a giant mouse lemur, Mirza; a bamboo
lemur, Hapalemur; 17 sportive lemurs, Lepilemur; and 7 woolly lemurs, Avahi. Taxonomic
revisions have resulted in the resurrection of a further 9 taxa. However, the figures
do not represent the total diversity of Malagasy lemurs because more new species are
being identified via new field studies and accompanying genetic research, and should
be described in the near future. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Type
Journal articlePermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6237Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1007/s10764-008-9317-yPublication Info
Mittermeier, RA; Ganzhorn, JU; Konstant, WR; Glander, K; Tattersall, I; Groves, CP;
... Rasoloarison, RM (2008). Lemur diversity in Madagascar. International Journal of Primatology, 29(6). pp. 1607-1656. 10.1007/s10764-008-9317-y. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6237.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Kenneth Earl Glander
Professor Emeritus of Evolutionary Anthropology
Primate ecology and social organization: the interaction between feeding patterns
and social structure; evolutionary development of optimal group size and composition;
factors affecting short and long-term demographic changes in stable groups; primate
use of regenerating forests.

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