Lemur Biology

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. Introductory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. History of Study of the Malagasy Lemurs, with Notes on Major Museum Collections

      • John Buettner-Janusch, Ian Tattersall, Robert W. Sussman

      Pages 3-11

   3. Notes on Topography, Climate, and Vegetation of Madagascar

      • Ian Tattersall, Robert W. Sussman

      Pages 13-21

3. Systematics and Evolution

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 23-23

      PDF

   2. The Significance of Chromosomal Studies in the Systematics of the Malagasy Lemurs

      • Yves Rumpler

      Pages 25-40

   3. Development and Eruption of the Premolar Region of Prosimians and Its Bearing on Their Evolution

      • Jeffrey H. Schwartz

      Pages 41-63

   4. Dentition of Adapis parisiensis and the Evolution of Lemuriform Primates

      • Philip D. Gingerich

      Pages 65-80

4. Morphology and Physiology

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 81-81

      PDF

   2. Structure of the Ear Region in Living and Subfossil Lemurs

      • Roger Saban

      Pages 83-109

   3. Notes on the Cranial Anatomy of the Subfossil Malagasy Lemurs

      • Ian Tattersall

      Pages 111-124

   4. The Lemur Scapula

      • David Roberts, Isobelle Davidson

      Pages 125-147

   5. Osteology and Myology of the Lemuriform Postcranial Skeleton

      • Françoise K. Jouffroy

      Pages 149-192

   6. Body Temperatures and Behavior of Captive Cheirogaleids

      • Robert Jay Russell

      Pages 193-206

5. Behavior and Ecology

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 207-207

      PDF

   2. Observations on Behavior and Ecology of Phaner furcifer

      • J.-J. Petter, A. Schilling, G. Pariente

      Pages 209-218

   3. Lemur catta: Ecology and Behavior

      • Norman Budnitz, Kathryn Dainis

      Pages 219-235

   4. A Preliminary Study of the Behavior and Ecology of Lemur fulvus rufus Audebert 1800

      • Robert W. Sussman

      Pages 237-258

   5. Field Observations of Social Behavior of Lemur fulvus fulvus E. Geoffroy 1812

      • Jonathan E. Harrington

      Pages 259-279

   6. Preliminary Notes on the Behavior and Ecology of Hapalemur griseus

      • J.-J. Petter, A. Peyrieras

      Pages 281-286

The volume of studies on prosimian primates has, until recently, tended to lag well behind that of studies on the higher primates. This is so despite the fact that the considerable intrinsic interest of the living prosimians and the signifi­ cance of their stuQ,y for our understanding of the earlier stages of primate evolution have long been acknowledged by zoologists, paleontologists, and anthropologists alike. Among the prosimians, the Malagasy lemurs are of profound interest not only because they include the only extant diurnal forms, but also because it is only on Madagascar that the absence of competition with higher primates has allowed a surviving prosimian fauna to radiate, es­ sentially unrestricted, into a broad spectrum of ecological zones. In contrast, the few extant prosimians of Africa and Asia occupy a relatively narrow range of "refuge" niches; although of considerable interest in themselves, they do not show the richness and variety of adaptation which make the Malagasy prosimian fauna such a fascinating object of study. Over the past few years, however, there has been a considerable resur­ gence of interest in the prosimians in general, and in the lemurs in particular. The range of studies resulting from this rekindling of interest is wide, compre­ hending the systematics, evolution, anatomy, behavior, and ecology of these forms. This volume constitutes a progress report on our knowledge of the le­ murs.

• adaptation
• anatomy
• biology
• ecology
• evolution
• fauna
• primates
• systematics

• Department of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA

  Ian Tattersall

• Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis, USA

  Robert W. Sussman

Policies and ethics