Megaladapis
Encyclopedia
Koala lemurs, genus Megaladapis, belong to the family Megaladapidae, consisting of three extinct species of lemur
s that once inhabited the island of Madagascar
. The largest measured between 1.3 to 1.5 m (4.3 to 4.9 ft) in length.
. Its long arms and fingers were specialized for grasping trees, while its legs were splayed for vertical climbing. Additionally, its head was unlike any other primate, most strikingly, its eyes were located on the sides of its skull, instead of being placed forward on the skull like all other primates. Its long canine teeth and a cow-like jaw
, formed a tapering snout
. Its jaw muscles were powerful for chewing through the tough native vegetation. Its body weight reached a total of 50 kilograms (110.2 lb). The shape of its skull
was unique among all known primates, with a nasal
region which showed similarities to those of rhinoceros
, what was probably a feature combined with an enlarged upper lip for grasping leaves.
Its tree-grasping attributes probably made Megaladapis vulnerable to changes to the forests of Madagascar. A thousand years before the arrival of the first humans, the island was struck by a prolonged drought. According to ecologist David Burney, the result, for the koala lemur, would have been a gradual thinning out of its forest home as it gave way to a more open and wooded environment. This would have forced forest dwelling animals to descend to the ground to compete for resources in a way in which they had not had to before.
When humans arrived, between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago, the archaeological record shows that they cleared large areas of the island using "slash-and-burn" techniques. This would have added even more pressure on the giant lemurs, and other mega fauna. Unable to adapt to the environmental changes and the presence of humans, Megaladapis became extinct approximately 500 years ago.
legends of the tretretretre or tratratratra, an extinct animal, refer to Megaladapis, but the details of these tales, notably the "human-like" face of the animal, match the related Palaeopropithecus
much better.
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
s that once inhabited the island of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. The largest measured between 1.3 to 1.5 m (4.3 to 4.9 ft) in length.
Appearance and habits
Megaladapis was quite different from any living lemur. Its body was squat and built like that of the modern koalaKoala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
. Its long arms and fingers were specialized for grasping trees, while its legs were splayed for vertical climbing. Additionally, its head was unlike any other primate, most strikingly, its eyes were located on the sides of its skull, instead of being placed forward on the skull like all other primates. Its long canine teeth and a cow-like jaw
Jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
, formed a tapering snout
Snout
The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.-Terminology:The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous...
. Its jaw muscles were powerful for chewing through the tough native vegetation. Its body weight reached a total of 50 kilograms (110.2 lb). The shape of its skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
was unique among all known primates, with a nasal
Nasal cavity
The nasal cavity is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face.- Function :The nasal cavity conditions the air to be received by the other areas of the respiratory tract...
region which showed similarities to those of rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
, what was probably a feature combined with an enlarged upper lip for grasping leaves.
Its tree-grasping attributes probably made Megaladapis vulnerable to changes to the forests of Madagascar. A thousand years before the arrival of the first humans, the island was struck by a prolonged drought. According to ecologist David Burney, the result, for the koala lemur, would have been a gradual thinning out of its forest home as it gave way to a more open and wooded environment. This would have forced forest dwelling animals to descend to the ground to compete for resources in a way in which they had not had to before.
When humans arrived, between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago, the archaeological record shows that they cleared large areas of the island using "slash-and-burn" techniques. This would have added even more pressure on the giant lemurs, and other mega fauna. Unable to adapt to the environmental changes and the presence of humans, Megaladapis became extinct approximately 500 years ago.
Cultural references
It is often believed that MalagasyMadagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
legends of the tretretretre or tratratratra, an extinct animal, refer to Megaladapis, but the details of these tales, notably the "human-like" face of the animal, match the related Palaeopropithecus
Palaeopropithecus ingens
The large sloth lemurs were one of three recently extinct genera of sloth lemur that was found on Madagascar, and were closely related to living lemur species found there today. There were three known species, Palaeopropithecus ingens, P. maximus, and P. kelyus...
much better.
See also
Other extinct lemurs:- ArchaeoindrisArchaeoindrisArchaeoindris fontoynonti is an extinct species of Malagasy lemur that was the largest primate to evolve on Madagascar. It weighed about and measured around 1.5m in height, more than a silverback gorilla. Archaeoindris is one of eight known members of the Palaeopropithecinae subfamily...
- ArchaeolemurArchaeolemurArchaeolemur is an extinct genus of lemurs that includes two species, Archaeolemur edwardsi and A. majori.The genus was widespread throughout Madagascar through much of the Holocene epoch, and its remains are often abundant at fossil sites across the island. The wide geographical and temporal range...
- HadropithecusHadropithecusHadropithecus is a medium-sized, extinct genus of lemur, or strepsirrhine primate, from Madagascar that includes a single species, Hadropithecus stenognathus. Due to its rarity and lack of sufficient skeletal remains, it is one of the least understood of the extinct lemurs...
- PachylemurPachylemurPachylemur is an extinct genus of lemur most closely related to the ruffed lemurs . Its two representative species, Pachylemur insignis and Pachylemur jullyi, are only known from subfossil remains found at sites in central and southwestern Madagascar...
- Palaeopropithecus