Archaeoindris
| Archaeoindris | ||||||||||||
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Live reconstruction |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Archaeoindris | ||||||||||||
| Standing , 1909 |
Archaeoindris is an extinct genus of primate thatlivedon the island of Madagascar until at least a few 1000 years ago. It reached a weight of around 160 to 200 kilograms, which roughlycorresponds toa full-grown male gorilla , and was thus the largest wet-nosed monkey known to date. The only known species of the genus is Archaeoindris fontoynonti .
Archaeoindris is classified in the Palaeopropithecinae , an extinct Malagasy primate group, which in their physique and probably also in their way of life showed similarities with the sloths . Archaeoindris was the largest representative of this group and is probably the only species to have lived mainly on the ground. Its physique shows some convergences to the terrestrial giant sloths of America.
The front legs were significantly longer than the rear legs, and the muzzle was elongated. The erect lower incisors and the long, narrow molars with the strong sheared edges indicate that these animals primarily fed on leaves.
The exact time of the extinction of Archaeoindris remains unclear . The most recent remains found are dated 6000 BC. Dated. Due to the few specimens found, it is assumed that the species was rare and may have died out before humans arrived in Madagascar around 1500 years ago. On the other hand, a number of other primates only disappeared after the colonization of this island, so that Archaeoindris could have survived up to this time. It is therefore still unclear why the genus ultimately died out. Due to its size and alleged slow movement, it would have been both an easy target for hunters and very sensitive to ecological changes.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2002, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
