[17] In 1915, paleontologist William Diller Matthew noted that the mammalian biodiversity on Madagascar (including lemurs) can only be accounted for by random rafting events, where very small populations rafted from nearby Africa on tangled mats of vegetation, which get flushed out to sea from major rivers. "Lemur" was coined in 1795 by Carl Linnaeus, the founder of modern taxonomy, who took it from Latin.

Although trends frequently distinguish the smaller, nocturnal lemurs from the larger, diurnal lemurs, there are often exceptions that help exemplify the unique and diverse nature of these Malagasy primates. [37] The leaping abilities of lemurs may have evolved for predator avoidance rather than for travel, according to a study in kinematics. [16][31], Lemurs lack any shared traits that make them stand out from all other primates.

[84][95] Weaning occurs either before or shortly after the eruption of the first permanent molars in lemurs. Most existing lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail.

The name lemur is derived from the Latin lemures,[4] which refers to specters or ghosts that were exorcised during the Lemuria festival of ancient Rome.

Stink fights are resolved when one lemur backs off, and although many end quickly, they've been known to last an hour.

[2][37] Monogamous lemurs include the red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer) and the mongoose lemur (E. mongoz), although the mongoose lemur has been observed mating outside of its pair bond.

[2][16][21] Lemurs have long snouts (compared to the short snouts of haplorrhines) that are traditionally thought to position the nose for better sifting of smells,[16] although long snouts do not necessarily translate into high olfactory acuity since it is not the relative size of the nasal cavity that correlates with smell, but the density of olfactory receptors.

However, their brain-to-body size ratio is smaller than that of anthropoid primates. The largest living lemur is … Also, the ring-tailed lemur, ruffed lemurs, and sifakas are commonly seen sunning, thus using solar radiation to warm their bodies instead of metabolic heat.

[28][124] In the case of the ruffed lemurs, the young are altricial and the mothers build nests for them, much like the smaller, nocturnal lemur species. As a result, the father declared that anyone who tortures lemurs for fun shall "be destroyed and have no descendants. [2][105] Despite the differences in technique, lemurs groom with the same frequency and for the same reasons as anthropoids. And that dynamic is often comically apparent, as Duke University biologist Robin Ann Smith wrote in 2015. Pheromones may coordinate reproductive timing for females coming into estrus. [84], After the offspring are born, lemurs either carry them around or stash them while foraging. [68], Olfaction is particularly important to lemurs,[2] except for the indri, which lacks most common lemur scent glands and has a greatly reduced olfactory region in the brain.

[44] Because genetic data indicates that the recently extinct subfossil lemurs were closely related to living lemurs,[45] an additional three families, eight genera, and 17 species can be included in the total. [2] In nocturnal lemurs from the more seasonal forests in the west, up to five species can coexist during the wet season due to high food abundance. The body language alone can be hard for us to pick up without the scent. [125] Even males have been observed caring for infants in species such as the red-bellied lemur, mongoose lemur,[70] eastern lesser bamboo lemur, silky sifaka,[125] fat-tailed dwarf lemur,[126] and ruffed lemurs. [117], All lemurs experience some predation pressure.

It has lost about 80% of its habitat in just 24 years, according to the IUCN, and it's also hunted for food and pets. [151] Small, isolated populations also risk extirpation by natural disasters and disease outbreaks (epizootics). A village or region may believe that a certain type of lemur may be the ancestor of the clan. Lemurs not only respond to alarm calls of their own species, but also alarm calls of other species and those of non-predatory birds. One of its most distinctive features was its robust muzzle, which "evidently supported a large, fleshy nose."