Who likes "lemur monkeys"? We ALL do!

[Johnboy]

. . . or at least their descendants - unless you're a misanthrope, that is.

[bjornolf]

I found this other article at yahoo: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/ ... ssing-link The part that cracked me up was when it said that her mother had probably dropped her as a baby. Apparently that's been happening for millions of years. ;)

[CathyCA]

I recently learned that I am a lemur. I am a fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius).

I store fat in my tail to provide a source of energy during my dormancy. I'm nocturnal--engaging in most of my activity and feeding at night. My fat tail isn't a result of overeating and underexercising. It is because I am a lemur.

[bjornolf]

I want to see Lavabe's opinion on this!

[wilson]

I want to see Lavabe's opinion on this!

Sadly, he's in the car right now (again). He, Shammrog, and I did have a splendid dinner together, though.

[bjornolf]

Well, we'll just have to get him to visit this thread when he gets back. ;)

[Johnboy]

I recently learned that I am a lemur. I am a fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius).

I store fat in my tail to provide a source of energy during my dormancy. I'm nocturnal--engaging in most of my activity and feeding at night. My fat tail isn't a result of overeating and underexercising. It is because I am a lemur.

This is one of the funniest posts I have ever read. I think maybe I'm a lemur as well.

[Johnboy]

I want to see Lavabe's opinion on this!

I titled this thread specifically to get his attention and opinion on this "important discovery."

[Lavabe]

I want to see Lavabe's opinion on this!

I titled this thread specifically to get his attention and opinion on this "important discovery."

I have to pick up my daughter, and will be busy for a bit.

Having said that ADAPID should be in the SCRABBLE dictionary.

Also, I woke up with an email from Madagascar about this... and a number of former students have been buzzing me all day. I'll talk more about it later.

CathyCA is not so tiny as to fit in my palm.
More later, folks.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[bjornolf]

CathyCA is not so tiny as to fit in my palm.

Oh no you di-in't! Dude, I can't believe you just said that. You NEVER say anything like that to a woman! Cathy, don't look!

;)

[cl15876]

CathyCA is not so tiny as to fit in my palm.

Oh no you di-in't! Dude, I can't believe you just said that. You NEVER say anything like that to a woman! Cathy, don't look!

;)

Lavabe is referring to the lemur babies! My WONDERFUL adult lemur fits PERRRRR-FECTL-EEEEEEE IN THE PALM OF MY HAND!!!!!!!!! OR SHOULD I SAY I AM PUTTY IN THE PALM OF HER HAND!!!!

[bjornolf]

Are you two dating? The visits. Cooking for each other. Getting the kids together. The roses and kissies . I feel like I'm watching "The Brady Bunch", or "His, Hers, and Ours" or something.

[Lavabe]

bjornolf: Oh brother... Cheirogaleus medius is a very tiny primate.

My opinions are based on reading the scientific paper, NOT the p-r mish-mash.

As for Darwinius (the new fossil), I am impressed with the completeness of the specimen, and the fact that the authors of the paper were able to recover so much of the specimen, especially from a private collector.

Otherwise, it's a great specimen, and typical of a group of early primates called Adapiformes. Of the two major groups of primates, the Adapiformes are more primitive, clearly in the group that includes lemurs, lorises, and galagoes. Dating to the Eocene (roughly 54 - 34ish million years ago), there are PLENTY of Adapiformes in Europe and North America, until a major climate change took place. After a 10-20 temperature drop, these primates became mostly extinct, although a few did survive through about 20 million years ago. The importance of this specimen is the amount of information on Adapiformes that is now clarified. The authors put it in one of the major groups of adapiformes, the cercamoniines. They say that the cranium (head) is very much like an American adapoid, Mahgarita.

Most scientists recognize that these primates are unlike modern day lemurs for a number of reasons. Currently, most paleontologists would say that lemurs not unlike modernday ones (very much like CathyCA's Cheirogaleus) probably first appear in the fossil record in Asia, around 25 million years ago.

If ANY scientist wants to lump this new fossil in with the monkeys, apes, and humans (a.k.a. ANTHROPOIDS, the other major group of primates), I would be VERY surprised. I wouldn't call it a lemur, and I wouldn't call it a monkey (and I wouldn't call it the p-r term "lemur monkey"). But people want to know what it is, in terms of things they know today. In that respect, you can call it a lemur monkey, but I think that's misleading.

It's a typical adapiform (depending on your view of taxonomy, scientific naming, they are sometimes called adapoids or adapids).

When I first saw the tv report, I was thinking that the individual had some more anthropoid features than it does. What it does for me as a physical anthropologist is to consider that the differences between the adapoid/lemur group and anthropoids were not as thoroughly different as they appear today.

I run across a lot of folks who wonder why I even mention adapiformes in my intro physical anthropology classes. Simply stated, they are among the best evidence of the early primates. After reviewing the information here, I think Darwinius probably gives us better insight also as to the conditions that led to the success and development of our own primate group, the anthropoids. It's a successful tropical rain forest species that disappears with the big temperature drop of the Eocene.

Having said that, it's still very early, and I'd like to discuss with other scientists. I want some clarification, myself. I think it's a great find, and it focuses attention on one of the most interesting periods of primate evolution.

Sorry for being too scientific. :ugeek: :ugeek:
Cheers,
Lavabe

[CathyCA]

CathyCA is not so tiny as to fit in my palm.

Okay, so maybe I'm not a DWARF lemur. But I still contend that I'm a lemur because I store fat in my tail and engage in feeding and activity at night.

[CathyCA]

Are you two dating? The visits. Cooking for each other. Getting the kids together. The roses and kissies . I feel like I'm watching "The Brady Bunch", or "His, Hers, and Ours" or something.

Ya think?

[devildeac]

CathyCA is not so tiny as to fit in my palm.

Okay, so maybe I'm not a DWARF lemur. But I still contend that I'm a lemur because I store fat in my tail and engage in feeding and activity at night.

Once again, my thought processes and postings will remain far, far away from that description. :oops: :roll:

[cl15876]

CathyCA is not so tiny as to fit in my palm.

Okay, so maybe I'm not a DWARF lemur. But I still contend that I'm a lemur because I store fat in my tail and engage in feeding and activity at night.

Once again, my thought processes and postings will remain far, far away from that description. :oops: :roll:

I <3 YOU! YOU continue to be one of my mentors!

[devildeac]

Okay, so maybe I'm not a DWARF lemur. But I still contend that I'm a lemur because I store fat in my tail and engage in feeding and activity at night.[/quote]

Once again, my thought processes and postings will remain far, far away from that description. :oops: :roll:[/quote]

I <3 YOU! YOU continue to be one of my mentors! [/quote]

PWing or beer-tasting? ;)

Uh-oh, sounds like another man-crush. that would be 2 in one night. :roll: :lol:

[cl15876]

Okay, so maybe I'm not a DWARF lemur. But I still contend that I'm a lemur because I store fat in my tail and engage in feeding and activity at night.

Once again, my thought processes and postings will remain far, far away from that description. :oops: :roll:[/quote]

I <3 YOU! YOU continue to be one of my mentors! [/quote]

PWing or beer-tasting? ;)

Uh-oh, sounds like another man-crush. that would be 2 in one night. :roll: :lol:[/quote]

I feel like spreading the love! :-D

[bjornolf]

bjornolf: Oh brother... Cheirogaleus medius is a very tiny primate.

It..was...a...joke...dude. Calm down. Sheesh! I obviously need to trade in my old, broken down sense of humor for a newer one, since nobody gets my weak attempts at humor. I could have sworn there was a ;) in there somewhere.

As for the rest of your post, I loved it. Don't worry about being overly scientific, at least for me. I can't speak for anybody else, but I thought it was fascinating. But, then again, I used to spend hours upon hours hanging out at the La Brea Tar Pits and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum just staring at the fossils. I TOTALLY wanted to be a paleontologist as a kid.