Babakotia

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Babakotia
Temporal range: Pleistocene–Northgrippian (Possible Late Miocene species)
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Babakotia radofilai skull
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: †Palaeopropithecidae
Genus: †Babakotia
Godfrey et al., 1990[2]
Species:
†B. radofilai
Binomial name
†Babakotia radofilai
Godfrey et al., 1990[1]
Map of Madagascar, off the southeast coast of Africa, with two marks in the extreme north and northwest of the island.
Subfossil sites for
Babakotia radofilai[3]

Babakotia is an extinct

strepsirrhine primate, from Madagascar that contains a single species, Babakotia radofilai. Together with Palaeopropithecus, Archaeoindris, and Mesopropithecus, it forms the family Palaeopropithecidae, commonly known as the sloth lemurs. The name Babakotia comes from the Malagasy name for the indri, babakoto, to which it and all other sloth lemurs are closely related. Due to its mix of morphological traits that show intermediate stages between the slow-moving smaller sloth lemurs and the suspensory large sloth lemurs, it has helped determine the relationship between both groups and the closely related and extinct monkey lemurs
.

Babakotia radofilai and all other sloth lemurs share many traits with living

subfossil remains and may have died out shortly after the arrival of humans on the island, but not enough radiocarbon dating
has been done with this species to know for certain.

Etymology

The name of the genus Babakotia derives from the Malagasy common name for the Indri, babakoto, a close relative of Babakotia. The species name, radofilai, was chosen in honor of French mathematician and expatriate Jean Radofilao, an avid spelunker who mapped the caves where remains of Babakotia radofilai were first found.[4]

Classification and phylogeny

Restoration of Babakotia radofilai

Babakotia radofilai is the sole member of the

Palaeopropithecidae, which includes three other genera of sloth lemurs: Palaeopropithecus, Archaeoindris, and Mesopropithecus. This family in turn belongs to the infraorder Lemuriformes, which includes all the Malagasy lemurs.[5][1]

The first subfossil remains of Babakotia radofilai were discovered as part of a series of expeditions following upon discoveries of Jean Radofilao and two Anglo-Malagasy reconnaissance expeditions in 1981 and 1986–7.

Ankarana Massif, northern Madagascar a nearly complete skeleton and skull in addition to the remains of roughly a dozen other individuals.[3] Identified immediately as a sloth lemur (palaeopropithecid) upon its discovery,[4] Babakotia along with Mesopropithecus helped to settle a debate about the relationship between the sloth lemurs, the monkey lemurs (family Archaeolemuridae) and the living indriids. The monkey lemurs had skulls that more closely resembled the indriids, but their teeth were very specialized and unlike those of the indriids. The larger sloth lemurs, on the other hand, retained a dentition similar to living indriids, yet differed by having more robust and specialized skulls. Babakotia and Mesopropithecus not only shared the indriid dentition, but also the indriid-like skulls, providing evidence that sloth lemurs were most closely related to living indriids, with monkey lemurs as a sister group to both.[9] Furthermore, the discovery of Babakotia helped to demonstrate that the ancestral indriids were not "ricochetal leapers" (bouncing rapidly from tree to tree) like living indriids, but vertical climbers and hanging feeders, and possibly occasional leapers.[10]

Anatomy and physiology

Weighing between 16 and 20 kg (35 and 44 lb), Babakotia radofilai was a medium-sized lemur and noticeably smaller than the large sloth lemurs (Archaeoindris and Palaeopropithecus), but larger than the small sloth lemurs (Mesopropithecus).

semicircular canals,[16] lumbar vertebrae and its spinous processes indicate slow movement and climbing (antipronograde) adaptations, but not necessarily sloth-like hanging, vertical clinging, or leaping.[17] Therefore, it was likely a slow climber like a loris and also exhibited some suspensory behavior like a sloth.[8]

Babakotia placement within the lemur phylogeny[18][19][11]
 Lemuriformes 

All sloth lemurs have relatively robust skulls compared to the indriids,

cranial features with the larger sloth lemurs,[9] its skull still resembles that of an indri.[5] The cranial traits shared with the other sloth lemurs include relatively small orbits, robust zygomatic arches, and a mostly rectangular hard palate.[1] The small orbits taken into consideration with the relative size of the optic canal suggest that Babakotia had low visual acuity, which is typical for lemurs.[20] The skull length averages 144 mm (5.7 in).[3]

The dental formula of Babakotia radofilai was the same as the other sloth lemurs and indriids: either 2.1.2.31.1.2.3[1][9] or 2.1.2.32.0.2.3 × 2 = 30.[3] It is unclear whether one of the teeth in the permanent dentition is an incisor or canine, resulting in these two conflicting dental formulae.[21] Regardless, the lack of either a lower canine or incisor results in a four-tooth toothcomb instead of the more typical six-tooth strepsirrhine toothcomb. Babakotia radofilai differed slightly from indriids in having somewhat elongated premolars. Its cheek teeth had broad shearing crests and crenulated enamel.[3]

Distribution and ecology

Like all other lemurs, Babakotia radofilai was

sympatric (occurred together) with Palaeopropithecus maximus and Mesopropithecus dolichobrachion.[8][24][25]

Based on its size, the morphology of its

permanent teeth erupted early, a trait seen in indriids that improves survivability of juveniles during the first dry season following weaning.[12]

Extinction

Because it died out relatively recently and is only known from subfossil remains, it is considered to be a modern form of Malagasy lemur.

epoch and is thought to have disappeared shortly after the arrival of humans to the island, possibly within the last 1,000 years.[1] The only radiocarbon date that has been reported for it dates back to 3100–2800 BCE.[27]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8
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  2. ISBN 978-0-231-11013-6
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  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-521-66315-1
    .
  4. ^ a b Godfrey, L.R.; Simons, E.L.; Chatrath, P.J.; Rakotosamimanana, B. (1990). "A new fossil lemur (Babakotia, Primates) from northern Madagascar". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences. 2. 81: 81–87.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-1-881173-88-5
    .
  6. PMID 2807091
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  7. ^ Wilson, J.M.; Godrey, L.R.; Simons, E.L.; Stewart, P.D.; Vuillaume-Randriamanantena, M. (1995). "Past and present lemur fauna at Ankarana, N. Madagascar" (PDF). Primate Conservation. 16: 47–52.
  8. ^
    S2CID 4834725. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-03-13.
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-1-881173-08-3
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  10. PMID 1924371
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  11. ^
    ISBN 978-0-226-30306-2
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  12. ^
    ISBN 978-1-56098-682-9
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  13. ISBN 978-1-56098-682-9
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  14. PMID 11038588
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  18. PMID 18245770
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  20. ^
    ISBN 978-0-387-34585-7
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  21. ISBN 978-0-12-372576-9
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  22. ^
    ISBN 978-0-536-74363-3
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  23. S2CID 7171105
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  24. ^ Godfrey, L.R.; Wilson, Jane M.; Simons, E.L.; Stewart, Paul D.; Vuillaume-Randriamanantena, M. (1996). "Ankarana: a window on Madagascar's Past". Lemur News. 2: 16–17.
  25. ^ Wilson, Jane M.; Godfrey, L.R.; Simons, E.L.; Stewart, Paul D.; Vuillaume-Randriamanantena, M. (1995). "Past and Present Lemur Fauna at Ankarana, N. Madagascar". Primate Conservation. 16: 47–52.
  26. PMID 12457853
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  27. S2CID 129808875
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