STREPSIRRHINI

PROSIMIANS

LEMURIFORMES

These are the primates with MOIST NOSES, known from the Eocene era

CHARACTERISTICS:

  • grooming digit, usually the second
    digit of each foot.
  • fingers are less dextrous.
  • stronger reliance on olfaction.
  • scent glands.
  • have a moist nose
  • have a rhinarium.
  • eyes facing more to the side.
  • no post-orbital closure.
  • tooth comb.
  • independently movable ears.
  • many are nocturnal.
  • some are diurnal or cathermal.
  • small brain to body size ratio.
  • unfused metopic suture of frontal bone and symphyseal suture of mandible.
  • multiple teats.
  • shorter gestation and maturation periods.
  • walled off embryo.

CHEIROGALIDAE (family)

  • small, <60g to 300/450g
  • nocturnal
  • nest builders
  • high quality foods
  • brief gestation periods
  • twins or triplets
  • young are usually 'parked'
  • solitary foragers
  • adult male ranges overlap one or more
    female ranges.

PHANER (fork-marked lemurs)

  • small 1-male, 1-female groups
  • gummivory
  • upper 1st premolar is caniform

MICROCEBUS (mouse lemurs, genus)

  • nocturnal
  • smallest primates (27cm)
  • omnivorous
  • co-operating females share tree nests
  • smallest brain of all known primates

CHEIROGALEUS (dwarf lemurs, genus)

  • hibernates in the dry season
  • stores fat in the tail and body
  • solitary or pairs
  • roam the lower strata in coastal forests

ALLOCEBUS (hairy-eared dwarf lemur, genus)

  • short fur
  • extraordinarily long tongue
  • poorly know, thought to be extinct until recently

LORISIFORMES

LEMURIDAE (family)

  • 2 to 4kg
  • dirunal
  • gestation periods of
    100-135 days
  • defend large territories
    of 5-10ha
  • arboreal and terrestrial
  • highly social
  • stable, status hierachies
  • bisexual, multi-male,
    multi-female groups
  • strong scents from neck
    gland
  • females dominate males

VARECIA (ruffed lemur)

  • arboreal quadrupeds
  • highly vocal
  • large litters of 2-3

EULEMUR (brown lemur)

  • cathemeral
  • sexually dichromatic

LEMUR (lemur, genus)

  • lemurcatta is most terrestrial

HAPALEMUR (bamboo lemur)

  • vertical clinger-leaper
  • specialist in bamboo feeding

LEPILEMURIDAE (family)

LEPILEMUR (sportive lemur)

  • relatively folivorous
  • lack upper incisor
  • solitary foragers
  • vertical clinger-leaper
  • bi-pedal 'hopping'
  • adult male ranges overlap one
    or more female ranges

INDRIIDAE (family)

  • 1 to 6kg
  • diurnal
  • folivorous
  • vertical clingers-leapers
  • tooth reduction
  • specialised digestive tracts
  • variable social groups
  • stable pairs

INDRI (indri, genus)

  • the largest
  • vestigial tail

AVAHI (wooly lemur)

  • nocturnal
  • pair-bonding
  • 9 species

PROPITHECUS (sifaka)

  • most numerous
  • 9 species
  • shifak alarm call

TARSIFORMES

TARSIIDAE (family)

  • south-east Asian islands
  • small
  • nocturnal
  • insectivorous
  • tooth reduction
  • vocal duet singing
  • solitary
  • monogamous pairs

LORISIDAE (family)

  • subsaharan Africa and
    south-east Asia
  • 300g to 1000g
  • nocturnal
  • first lower pre-molar
    resembles a canine
  • cautious quadrumannual
    climbers
  • gestation period of
    130-190 days
  • single infants which are
    'parked'
  • short tail
  • solitary
  • monogamous pairs
  • male and female ranges
    overlap
  • reach sexual maturity
    in <2 years
  • stealth and brachial
    gland to avoid predation

PERODICTICUS (potto)

  • Africa
  • 1000g
  • fingers 3 and 4 connected by a
    slight skin fold
  • 6 low tubercles with sharp points
    on the neck for defence

ARCTOCEBUS (angwantibo)

  • Africa
  • 300g
  • almost not tail at all
  • prefer underbrush and lower layers

LORIS (slender loris)

  • Asia
  • 300g
  • narrow pelvis with unfused pubic symphysis

NYCTICEBUS (slow loris)

  • Asia
  • 1000g
  • nocturnal

GALAGIDAE (family)

  • subsaharan, woodland savannah Africa
  • 100-200g
  • nocturnal
  • scent marking is important
  • vertical clingers-leapers of >2m
  • gestation period of 120 days
  • twins and triplets are 'parked' or carried
    in the mouth
  • rapid growth
  • solitary foragers
  • monogamous pairs
  • male ranges overlap one or more
    female ranges
  • adult females may share ranges and
    sleep communally

OTOLEMUR (greater bushbabies)

GALAGOIDES (zanzibar bushbabies)

GALAGO (bushbaby)

EUOTICUS (needle-clawed bushbaby)

DAUBENTONIIDAE (family)

DAUBENTONIA MADAGASCARIENSIS (genus)

  • insectivorous
  • elongated, third foraging digit
  • large, approx. 1 metre
  • build nests in trees
  • coastal lowland rainforest, <200m elevation
  • solitary or asocial
  • adult male ranges overlap one or more
    female ranges
  • compressed claw-like nails except first toes
  • one-sided enamel
  • procumbent teeth which continually grow