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Lemurs

Lemuroidea

Lemurs are strepsirrhine (“wet‑nosed”) primates native to Madagascar, where they have diversified into 100+ species occupying habitats from rainforests to dry forests. Most evidence suggests their ancestors reached Madagascar from Africa by rafting across the Mozambique Channel on floating vegetation, likely around 50 million years ago when ocean currents could have carried rafts eastward. Living lemurs range from the ~30 g (1.1 oz) Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur to the indri, roughly 7–10 kg (20 lb), and share hallmark strepsirrhine traits such as a toothcomb (in most species; the aye‑aye is an exception) and a “toilet claw” on the second toe used for grooming. Compared with monkeys and apes (anthropoids), strepsirrhines like lemurs are generally less encephalized (smaller relative brain size).

Lemurs are strepsirrhine (“wet‑nosed”) primates native to Madagascar, where they have diversified into 100+ species occupying habitats from rainforests to dry forests. Most evidence suggests their ancestors reached Madagascar from Africa by rafting across the Mozambique Channel on floating vegetation, likely around 50 million years ago when ocean currents could have carried rafts eastward. Living lemurs range from the ~30 g (1.1 oz) Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur to the indri, roughly 7–10 kg (20 lb), and share hallmark strepsirrhine traits such as a toothcomb (in most species; the aye‑aye is an exception) and a “toilet claw” on the second toe used for grooming. Compared with monkeys and apes (anthropoids), strepsirrhines like lemurs are generally less encephalized (smaller relative brain size).