Giant aye-aye

Giant aye-aye
Temporal range: Holocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: Daubentoniidae
Genus: Daubentonia
Species:
†D. robusta
Binomial name
†Daubentonia robusta
Lamberton, 1935

The giant aye-aye (Daubentonia robusta) is an extinct relative of the aye-aye, the only other species in the genus Daubentonia. It lived in Madagascar, appears to have disappeared less than 1,000 years ago, is entirely unknown in life, and is only known from subfossil remains.[1]

As of 2004 giant aye-aye remains consisted of 4 incisors, a tibia, and other postcranial material.[2] Subfossils of this species have been found in the southern and southeastern portion of Madagascar, outside the range of extant aye-aye.[3] Giant aye-ayes are believed to be very similar morphologically to the aye-aye, but 2 to 2.5 times larger, based upon jaw and incisor measurements.[3]

  1. ^ Nowak, R. M., ed. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol. 1 (6th ed.). Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 533–534. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9.
  2. ^ Quinn, Aleta; Wilson, Don E. (2004). "Daubentonia madagascariensis". Mammalian Species. 740: 1–6. doi:10.1644/740.
  3. ^ a b Simons, EL (1994). "The giant aye-aye Daubentonia robusta". Folia Primatologica. 62 (1–3): 14–21. doi:10.1159/000156759. PMID 7721200.