Geographical Variation in the Fork-Marked Lemur, Phaner furcifer (Primates, Cheirogaleidae)

Groves, Colin P.; Tattersall, Ian

doi:10.1159/000156526

Cited by 21 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Phaner Gray, 1870: Fork-marked lemurs Phaner furcifer (de Blainville, 1839): Masoala or eastern fork-marked lemur Phaner pallescens Groves and Tattersall, 1991: Pale or Western fork-marked lemur Phaner parienti Groves and Tattersall, 1991: Sambirano or Pariente's forkmarked lemur Phaner electromontis Groves and Tattersall, 1991: Amber Mountain fork-marked lemur Phaner is discontinuously distributed throughout Madagascar, and had been viewed as a monotypic genus since its description (as Lemur furcifer by de Blainville in 1839). The relatively large, nocturnal cheirogaleid lemurs are very vocal and display a characteristic locomotion, running rapidly along horizontal tree branches and jumping from one to the next without pausing, and performing unusual headbobbing movements that immediately distinguish them in the field (Mittermeier et al 1994(Mittermeier et al , 2006.…”

Section: Family Cheirogaleidae Gray 1873mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relatively large, nocturnal cheirogaleid lemurs are very vocal and display a characteristic locomotion, running rapidly along horizontal tree branches and jumping from one to the next without pausing, and performing unusual headbobbing movements that immediately distinguish them in the field (Mittermeier et al 1994(Mittermeier et al , 2006. Groves and Tattersall (1991) examined variations in pelage color and pattern and body size and proportions among geographically distinct populations, which led to the recognition of 4 subspecies: Phaner furcifer furcifer, P. f. pallescens, P. f. parienti, and P. f. electromontis. More recently, Groves (2001) acknowledged that they are discrete and elevated them to full species.…”

Section: Family Cheirogaleidae Gray 1873mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phaner furcifer occurs on the Masoala Peninsula and possibly adjacent portions of the mainland in northeast Madagascar (Groves and Tattersall 1991). According to Mittermeier et al (1994), isolated populations from the Betampona and Zahamena Nature Reserves further south may also be referable to this taxon, if not a new one.…”

Section: Family Cheirogaleidae Gray 1873mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Groves and Tattersall (1991), Groves (2000Groves ( , 2001Groves ( , 2005Groves ( , 2007, and Groves and Helgen (2007) revised existing museum material intensively. As a result of the aforementioned work, primatologists described 39 new species from the time of the Orlando workshop in 2000 to September 2008 and resurrected 9 other taxa, bringing the total number of taxa recognized here to 99 (97 species).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Lemur Diversity in Madagascar

Mittermeier

Ganzhorn

Konstant³

et al. 2008

Int J Primatol

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224

309

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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 Int J Primatol (2008) 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.

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Section: Family Cheirogaleidae Gray 1873mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Family Cheirogaleidae Gray 1873mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Family Cheirogaleidae Gray 1873mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lemur Diversity in Madagascar

Mittermeier

Ganzhorn

Konstant³

et al. 2008

Int J Primatol

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224

309

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“…Until 1991, the single species Phaner furcifer was considered monotypic, but at that time Groves and I, 34 working with museum specimens, pointed out substantial variations in size, pelage, and body proportions among the various isolates. We proposed dividing the known populations into four separate subspecies, hinting that fuller surveys would reveal yet more.…”

Section: Genus Phanermentioning

confidence: 99%

Madagascar's Lemurs: Cryptic diversity or taxonomic inflation?

Tattersall

2007

Evolutionary Anthropology

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149

147

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We live in inflationary times. A quarter of a century ago, cigarettes were about $1 a pack in New York City, a bottle of Château Beaucastel set you back $15, and there were 36 different species of lemur alive in Madagascar1 (Table 1). Today the equivalent figures are $7.40, $95, and 83 lemur species2 (Table 1). The increase in dollar prices has a lot to do with the economics of growth, something that obviously cannot be sustained indefinitely on a finite planet. Is the recent inflation in lemur taxonomy any more secure? The question is all the more worth asking because this is no isolated phenomenon: Madagascar's primates have not been alone in multiplying. The same burgeoning of species names has occurred throughout the order Primates3, 4 and beyond,5 provoking both concern and energetic debate.6–9 Interestingly, this debate has largely unfolded among ecologists, conservationists, and other “consumers” of taxonomy; many “producers” seem to be content to generate new taxonomies with a remarkable lack of introspection, as if they were no more than passive consequences of more lofty concerns. And because the same causes underlie taxonomic inflation in Madagascar as elsewhere, this extraordinary island once again presents us with a microcosm of the larger world.

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Exploratory analysis reveals arthropod consumption in 10 lemur species using DNA metabarcoding

Rowe

Donohue

Clare

et al. 2021

American J Primatol

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Arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.) can fulfill major nutritional requirements for primates, particularly in terms of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Yet, for many primate species we know very little about the frequency and importance of arthropod consumption. Traditional methods for arthropod prey identification, such as behavioral observations and fecal dissections, offer limited taxonomic resolution and, as a result, underestimate true diversity. Metabarcoding arthropod DNA from primate fecal samples provides a promising but underused alternative. Here, we inventoried arthropod prey diversity in wild lemurs by sequencing two regions of the CO1 gene. Samples were collected opportunistically from 10 species of lemurs inhabiting three national parks in southern Madagascar using a combination of focal animal follows and live trapping. In total, we detected arthropod DNA in 98 of the 170 fecal samples analyzed. Although all lemur species included in these analyses showed evidence of arthropod consumption, those within the family Cheirogaleidae appeared to consume the highest frequency and diversity of arthropods. To our knowledge, this study presents the first evidence of arthropod consumption in Phaner pallescens, Avahi peyrierasi, and Propithecus verreauxi, and identifies 32 families of arthropods as probable food items that have not been published as lemur dietary items to date. Our study emphasizes the importance of arthropods as a nutritional source and the role DNA metabarcoding can play in elucidating an animal's diet.

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Geographical Variation in the Fork-Marked Lemur, Phaner furcifer (Primates, Cheirogaleidae)

Cited by 21 publications

References 2 publications

Lemur Diversity in Madagascar

Lemur Diversity in Madagascar

Madagascar's Lemurs: Cryptic diversity or taxonomic inflation?

Exploratory analysis reveals arthropod consumption in 10 lemur species using DNA metabarcoding

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