For Immediate Release Contact: Greg Borzo (312) 665-7106 gborzo@fieldmuseum.org Two new lemur species discovered Findings published in Primate Report CHICAGO—German and Malagasy primatologists have discovered two new species of lemurs, naming one of them after Steve Goodman, a Field Museum scientist who has devoted nearly two decades to studying the animals of Madagascar. Lemurs in the wild are found only in Madagascar, one of the most important conservation hotspots on Earth. Lemurs are the last living link to ancient primates that have a common link to the primate lineage that evolved into humans. Therefore, they are extremely important to understanding the origin, evolution and ecology of human beings. Finding a new species of lemur is rare; this discovery brings the number of known lemur species from 47 to 49. Many species have become extinct since humans first populated Madagascar about 1,500 years ago, and lemurs are considered the most endangered of all primates. The new lemurs were discovered by scientists at the German Primate Center (DPZ) and the University of Göttingen and are described in the current issue of the journal Primate Report. The findings will be presented on August 10 to the scientific community at the Congress of the European Federation for Primatology in Göttingen, Germany. "The discovery of these two new species highlights the fact that we still have a lot to learn about patterns and causes of biodiversity, even among our closest biological cousins," says Peter M. Kappeler, Department of Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology at DPZ in Göttingen. "Even though Steve Goodman and others have sampled the remotest corners of Madagascar, we are still not near a final count for lemurs and other species found there." Detective work The first new lemur was discovered when scientists analyzed and compared morphological, genetic and behavior data from distinct populations of the giant mouse lemur, Mirza coquereli. Traditionally, only one species of giant mouse lemur has been recognized. Two distinct populations of Mirza coquereli were known to occur on the island, one in the west and the other in the north. Fieldwork by a DPZ team led by Kappeler revealed morphological and behavioral differences between members of these two populations of Mirza coquereli. This suggested that the two populations actually represented distinct species. Comparative genetic analyses by Christian Roos confirmed the distinctiveness of the two populations and led to the description of the northern population as a new species, Mirza zaza. The two species have been separated for about 2 million years. Mirza zaza is nocturnal and the size of a gray squirrel weighing about 10 ounces (300 grams). It has a long bushy tail, relatively small ears and large testes, which are suggestive of a promiscuous mating system. "Zaza" is the Malagasy word for "child" or "children." This name was chosen because the new species is the smaller of the two Mirza species. Also, with this name the new lemur is dedicated to Madagascar’s children, to remind them of their responsibility for preserving the island’s unique biodiversity for future generations. Continue>>