Pachylemur
| Pachylemur | ||||||||||||
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Skull of Pachylemur insignis |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pachylemur | ||||||||||||
| Lamberton , 1948 | ||||||||||||
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Pachylemur is an extinct genus of primates from the family of common Makis (Lemuridae) thatlivedon the island of Madagascar until at least 1000 years ago.
The skeleton of Pachylemur is very similar to that of the Varis , and sometimes the animals are classified in the same genus ( Varecia ). Their skull, however, was somewhat larger (around 11 to 13 centimeters long) and broader, and the limbs were also somewhat more robust, which indicates a more terrestrial way of life. Their weight is estimated at around 8 to 10 kilograms. The food probably consisted of fruits and possibly also of harder vegetable material.
The fossils of two species, Pachylemur insignis and Pachylemur jullyi , have been found in northern, central and southeastern Madagascar; these are dated to an age of 1000 to 2000 years. It is not known exactly when the genus became extinct; it is believed that it could have survived until 500 years ago.
The reasons for the extinction are likely to be found in hunting. Madagascar was only settled by humans around 1,500 years ago, and as a result a number of animals, including many primate species, have disappeared, mostly the larger species. Pachylemur is one of the smallest extinct Malagasy primates, the partially ground-dwelling way of life of these animals is likely to have favored these processes.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
