Skip to main content

Prosimians: From Obscurity to Extinction?

  • Chapter
Creatures of the Dark

Abstract

This concluding presentation provides a general background for selected issues raised by other contributions to the symposium Creatures of the Dark rather than a general synthesis. Four interconnected issues are raised: (1) phylogenetic relationships of modern prosimians; (2) evolution of Malagasy lemurs; (3) speciation in lemurs; (4) lemur conservation

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bearder, S.K. (1987). Lorises, bushbabies, and tarsiers: Diverse societies in solitary foragers. In B.B. Smuts, D. Cheney, R.M. Seyfarth, R. Wrangham, & T. Struhsaker (Eds.), Primate Societies (pp. 11–24). Chicago: Chicago University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bearder, S.K. & Martin, R.D. (1980). Acacia gum and its use by bushbabies, Galago senegalensis (Primates, Lorisidae). International Journal of Primatology, 1, 103–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowmaker, J.K. (1991). Visual pigments and colour vision in primates. In A. Valberg & B.B. Lee (Eds.), From Pigments to Perception (pp. 1–9). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Cartmill, M. (1972). Arboreal adaptations and the origin of the order Primates. In R.H. Tuttle (Ed.). The Functional and Evolutionary Biology of Primates (pp. 97–122). Chicago: Aldine-Atherton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartmill, M. (1974a). Rethinking primate origins. Science, 184, 436–443.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cartmill, M. (1974b). Daubentonia, Dactylopsila and klinorhynchy.In R.D. Martin, G.A. Doyle, & A.C. Walker (Eds.), Prosimian Biology (pp. 655–670). London: Duckworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartmill, M. (1975). Strepsirhine basicranial structures and the affinities of the Cheirogaleidae. In W.P. Luckett & F.S. Szalay (Eds.), Phylogeny of the Primates (pp. 313–354). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Charles-Dominique, P. (1977). Ecology and Behaviour of Nocturnal Primates. (Translated by R.D. Martin), London: Duckworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charles-Dominique, P., Cooper, H.M., Hladik, A., Hladik, C.M., Pagès, E., Pariente, G.F., PetterRousseaux, A., Petter, J.-J., & Schilling, A. (1980). Nocturnal Malagasy Primates. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charles-Dominique, P. (1978). Solitary and gregarious prosimians: evolution of social structure in prosimians. In D.J. Chivers & K.A. Joysey (Eds.), Recent Advances in Primatology. vol. 3: Evolution (pp. 139–149). London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, J.H. & Gartlan, J.S. (1966). On the evolution of primate societies. Nature, London, 210, 1200–1203.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Djihan, P. & Green, H. (1991). Involucrin gene of tarsioids and other primates: Alternatives in evolution of the segment of repeats. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 88, 5321–5325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutrillaux, B. & Rumpler, Y. (1988). Absence of chromosomal similarities between tarsiers (Tarsius syrichta) and other primates. Folia Primatologica, 50, 130–133.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Engqvist, A. & Richard, A.F. (1992). Diet as a possible determinant of cathemeral activity in primates. Folia Primatologica, 57, 169–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forsyth Major, C.I. (1894). Über die malagassischen Lemuriden-Gattungen Microcebus, Opolemur, und Chirogale. Novitates Zoologiae, 1, 1–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Groves, C.P. (1974).Taxonomy and phylogeny of prosimians. In R.D. Martin, G.A. Doyle, & A.C. Walker (Eds.), Prosimian Biology (pp. 449–473). London: Duckworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harcourt, C. & Thornback, J. (1990). Lemurs of Madagascar and the Comoros. The IUCNRed Data Book. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishak, B., Warter, S., Dutrillaux, B., & Rumpler, Y. (1992). Chromosomal rearrangements and speciation of sportive lemurs (Lepilemur species). Folia Primatologica, 58, 121–130.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, G.H. & Deegan, J.F. (1993). Photopigments underlying color vision in ringtail lemurs (Lemur catta) and brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus). American Journal of Primatology, 30, 243–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koop, B.F., Siemieniak, D., Slightom, J.L., Goodman, M., Dunbar, J., Wright, P.C., & Simons, E.L. (1989). Tarsius δ- and β-globin genes: conversions, evolution, and systematic implications. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 264, 68–79.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kubzdela, K.S., Richard, A.F., & Pereira, M.E. (1992). Social relations in semi-free-ranging sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi coquereli) and the question of female dominance. American Journal of Primatology, 28, 139–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R.D. (1972a). Adaptive radiation and behaviour of the Malagasy lemurs. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (London) B, 264, 295–352.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R.D. (1972b). A preliminary field-study of the Lesser Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus, J.F. Miller 1777). Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie, Beiheft, 9, 43–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R.D. (1979). Phylogenetic aspects of prosimian behavior. In G.A. Doyle & R.D. Martin (Eds.), The Study of Prosimian Behavior (pp. 45–77). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R.D. (1990). Primate Origins and Evolution: A Phylogenetic Reconstruction. London/New Jersey: Chapman Hall/Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R.D. (1993). Primate origins: plugging the gaps. Nature, London, 363, 223–234.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meier, B. & Albignac, R. (1991). Rediscovery of Allocebus trichotis Günther 1875 (Primates) in Northeast Madagascar. Folia Primatologica, 56, 57–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meier, B., Albignac, R., Peyriéras, A., Rumpler, Y. & Wright, P. (1987). A new species of Hapalemur (Primates) from South East Madagascar. Folia Primatologica, 48, 211–215.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Millot, J. (1952). La faune malgache et le mythe Gondwanien. Mémoires de l’Institut Scientifique de Madagascar (série A), 7, 1–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Napier, J.R. & Napier, P.H. (1967). A Handbook of Living Primates. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niemitz, C., Nietsch, A., Warter, S., & Rumpler, Y. (1991). Tarsius dianae: A new primate species from Central Sulawesi (Indonesia). Folia Primatologica, 56, 105–116.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Novacek, M.J. & Wyss, A.R. (1988). Higher-level relationships of the recent eutherian orders: Morphological evidence. Cladistics, 2, 257–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petter, J.-J. (1962). Recherches sur l’écologie et l’éthologie des lémuriens malgaches. Mémoires du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, série A (Zoologie), 27, 1–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petter, J.-J., Albignac, R., & Rumpler, Y. (1977). Mammifères lémuriens (Primates prosimiens). Faune de Madagascar, 44, 1–513.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petter, J.J. & Petter-Rousseaux, A. (1979). Classification of the prosimians. In G.A. Doyle and R.D. Martin (Eds.), The Study of Prosimian Behavior (pp. 1–44.) New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poorman, P.A., Cartmill, M., & MacPhee, R.D.E. (1985). The G-banded karyotype of Tarsius bancanus and its implications for primate phylogeny. American Journal of physical Anthropology, 66, 215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rakotoarison, N., Mutschler, T., & Thalmann, U. (1993). Lemurs in Bemaraha (World Heritage Landscape, Western Madagascar). Oryx, 27, 35–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rumpler, Y. (1975). The significance of chromosomal studies in the systematics of the Malagasy lemurs. In I. Tattersall and R.W. Sussman (Eds.), Lemur Biology (pp. 25–40). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rumpler, Y. & Albignac, R. (1978). Chromosome studies of the lepilemur, an endemic Malagasy genus of lemurs: Contribution of the cytogenetics to their taxonomy. Journal of Human Evolution, 7, 191–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rumpler, Y., Meier, B., & Rakotosamimanana, B. (1988). La découverte d’un nouveau primate. La Recherche, 19, 1092–1094.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandwith, M.H. (1858). Sur les moeurs de l’aye-aye de Madagascar. Annales des Sciences naturelles, 4ème série, 10, 377–381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmid, J. & Kappeler, P.M. (in press). Sympatric mouse lemurs (Microcebus species) in western Madagascar. Folia Primatologica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, J.H., Tattersall, I. & Eldredge, N. (1978). Phylogeny and classification of the primates revisited. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, 21, 95–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, E. (1931). A revision of the genera and species of Madagascar Lemuridae. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1931, 399–428.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simons, E.L. (1988). A new species of Propithecus (Primates) from Northeast Madagascar. Folia Primatologica, 50, 143–151.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szalay, F.S. & Delson, E. (1979). Evolutionary History of the Primates. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szalay, F.S. & Katz, C.C. (1973). Phylogeny of lemurs, galagos and lorises. Folia Primatologica, 19, 88–103.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall, I. (1982). The Primates of Madagascar. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall, I. (1988). Cathemeral activity in primates: A definition. Folia Primatologica, 49, 200–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall, I. (1993). Madagascar’s lemurs. Scientific American, 268 (1), 110–117.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall, I. & Schwartz, J.H. (1974). Craniodental morphology and the systematics of the Malagasy lemurs (Primates, Prosimii). Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, 52, 139–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall, I. & Schwartz, J.H. (1975). Relationships among the Malagasy lemurs: The craniodental evidence. In W.P. Luckett & F.S. Szalay (Eds.) Phylogeny of the Primates (pp. 299–312). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Thalmann, U. (1992). Lemur survey in Bemaraha, Western Madagascar. Madagascar Environment Newsletter, 2, 2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thalmann, U. & Rakotoarison,N. (in press). Distribution of lemurs in central western Madagascar, with a regional distribution hypothesis. Folia Primatologica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thalmann, U., Geissmann, T., Mutschler, T., & Rakotoarison, N. (1992). Field observations on a recently discovered population of Avahi in western Madagascar. In J. Ruffié, J.-J. Petter, Y. Rumpler, & N. Herrenschmidt (Eds.), Abstracts of the XIVth Congress of the International Primatological Society (pp. 240). Strasbourg: International Primatological Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wakefield, N.A. (1970). Notes on the glider-possum, Petaurus australis (Phalangeridae, Marsupialia). Victorian Naturalist, 87, 221–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfheim, J.H. (1983). Primates of the World: Distribution, Abundance, and Conservation. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoder, A.D. (1992). The applications and limitations of ontogenetic comparisons for phylogeny reconstruction: the case of the strepsirhine internal carotid artery. Journal of Human Evolution, 23, 183–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoder, A.D. (1994). Relative position of the Cheirogaleidae in strepsirhine phylogeny: A comparison of morphological and molecular methods and results. American Journal of physical Anthropology, 94, 25–46.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Martin, R.D. (1995). Prosimians: From Obscurity to Extinction?. In: Alterman, L., Doyle, G.A., Izard, M.K. (eds) Creatures of the Dark. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2405-9_36

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2405-9_36

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3250-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-2405-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics