New Species of Sportive Lemur Named for PSG Chairman

A newly published study on the cytogenetics and molecular genetics of the genus Lepilemur, the sportive lemurs, has identified a new species of lemur in the far north of Madagascar, on the Apasindava Peninsula. Rabarivola et al. (2006) have named this new species Lepilemur mittermeieri, after PSG Chairman Dr. Russell Mittermeier, "who initiated and supported many important conservation activities in Madagascar."

This is the most recent of four new species of Lepilemur described by the same team since the first of this year. Andriaholinirina et al. (2006) described three new species of sportive lemurs: L. aeeclis, in honor of the Association Européenne pour l'Etude et la Conservation des Lémuriens; L. randrianasoli, after the pioneering Malagasy primatologist Georges Randrianasolo; and L. sahamalazensis, from the Sahamalaza Peninsula.

References

Andriaholinirina, N., Fausser, J.-L., Roos, C., Zinner, D., Thalmann, U., Rabarivola, C., Ravoarimanana, I., Ganzhorn, J. U., Meier, B., Hilgartner, R., Walter, L., Zaramody, A., Langer, C., Hahn, T., Zimmermann, E., Radespiel, U., Craul, M., Tomiuk, J., Tattersall, I. and Rumpler, Y. 2006. Molecular phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the sportive lemurs (Lepilemur, Primates). BMC Evolutionary Biology 6: 17.

Rabarivola, C., Zaramody, A., Fausser, J.-L., Andriaholinirina, N., Roos, C., Zinner, D., Marcel, H. and Rumpler, Y. 2006. Cytogenetic and molecular characteristics of a new species of sportive lemur from Northern Madagascar. Lemur News (11): 45-49.