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119-522: The hypothesis was proposed as an explanation for the presence of lemur fossils on Madagascar and the Indian subcontinent but not in continental Africa or the Middle East . Biologist Ernst Haeckel 's suggestion in 1870 that Lemuria could be the ancestral home of humans caused the hypothesis to move beyond the scope of geology and zoogeography , ensuring its popularity outside of the framework of

238-493: A prehensile tail , a trait found only in New World monkeys , particularly atelids , among primates. Lemurs also rely heavily on their sense of smell, a trait shared with most other mammals and early primates, but not with the visually oriented higher primates. This sense of smell is important in terms of marking territory as well as provide an indication of whether or not another lemur is a viable breeding partner. Lemurs are

357-493: A rhinarium (or "wet nose"); a fully functional vomeronasal organ , which detects pheromones ; a postorbital bar and the lack of postorbital closure (a wall of thin bone behind the eye); orbits (bony sockets that enclose the eye) that are not fully facing forward; left and right mandible (lower jaw) bones that are not fully fused; and a small brain-to-body mass ratio . Additional traits shared with other prosimian primates (strepsirrhine primates and tarsiers ) include

476-612: A 1901 Permanent Lease ( 999-year lease ) which were adjudged as a Permanent Grant by determination of the Privy Council (United Kingdom) in 2008. These Thirteen islands of St. Brandon on Permanent Grant are L'île du Sud (South Island, l'île Boisée), Petit Fou, l'Avocaire, l'île aux Fous, L'île du Gouvernement , Petit Mapou, Grand Mapou, La Baleine, L'Île Coco , Île Raphael , Verronge, l'île aux Bois and Baleines Rocks. There are several submerged banks or shoals: The islands are volcanic in origin; Saya de Malha (35 mya )

595-410: A bicornuate (two-horned) uterus and epitheliochorial placentation . Because their thumbs are only pseudo-opposable, making their movement less independent of the other fingers, their hands are less than perfect at grasping and manipulating objects. On their feet, they have a widely abducted hallux (first toe) which facilitates the grasping of tree limbs. A common misconception is that lemurs have

714-815: A clade together with Ruizia and Astiria , this means that Dombeya is paraphyletic. In terms of breeding systems the Malagasy Dombeyoideae are hermaphroditic , whereas those of the Mascarenes are considered dioecious . The polyphyly of the Mascarene Dombeyoideae suggests that dioecy has been acquired several times. At least five colonization events from Madagascar to the Mascarene archipelago occurred. The evolutionary history of two lineages of Mascarene Domeyoideae seems to be related to adaption to xeric habitats. The flora of

833-473: A complex of tunnels beneath the mountain of Mount Shasta in northern California . This city, known as Telos: City of Light boasted fur-lined carpeted floors and jeweled walls, all signs of opulence. Spencer also claimed that Lemurians could be seen walking the surface in white robes. In 1931, Harvey Spencer Lewis , who went by the pseudonym Wishar Spenle Cerve wrote Lemuria: the Lost Continent of

952-452: A different ocean gyre , producing currents that ran counter to what they are today. The ocean currents were shown to be even stronger than today, which would have pushed a raft along faster, shortening the trip to 30 days or less—short enough for a small mammal to survive easily. As the continental plates drifted northward, the currents gradually changed, and by 20 mya the window for oceanic dispersal had closed, effectively isolating

1071-479: A diverse group of primates in terms of morphology and physiology. Some lemurs, such as the sportive lemurs and indriids , have longer hind limbs than forelimbs , making them excellent leapers . Indriids also have a specialized digestive system for folivory , exhibiting enlarged salivary glands , a spacious stomach , and an elongated caecum (lower gut) that facilitates fermentation . The hairy-eared dwarf lemur ( Allocebus trichotis ) reportedly has

1190-629: A few reports of "solitaires" from the Mascarenes without mention of which island these came from, and the term was also used for other species with "solitary" habits, such as the Réunion blue swamphen and the Réunion sacred ibis . At one point it was even believed that Réunion was the home of not only a white dodo, but also a white solitaire. In 1786, sub-fossil bones were discovered in a cave which confirmed Leguat 's descriptions, but at this time no living residents of Rodrigues remembered having seen living birds. The star constellation Turdus Solitarius

1309-439: A four-tooth toothcomb due to the loss of either a pair of canines or incisors. Because the lower canine is either included in the toothcomb or lost, the lower dentition can be difficult to read, especially since the first premolar (P2) is often shaped like a canine (caniniform) to fill the canine's role. In folivorous (leaf-eating) lemurs, except for indriids, the upper incisors are greatly reduced or absent. Used together with

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1428-474: A functional strepsirrhine toothcomb. In the case of the aye-aye, the morphology of the deciduous incisors, which are lost shortly after birth, indicates that its ancestors had a toothcomb. These milk teeth are lost shortly after birth and are replaced by open-rooted, continually growing ( hypselodont ) incisors. The toothcomb in lemurs normally consists of six teeth (four incisors and two canines), although indriids, monkey lemurs, and some sloth lemurs only have

1547-487: A highly mobile, filiform (filament-shaped) middle finger for extracting food from tiny holes; large, bat -like ears for detecting hollow spaces within trees; and use of self-generated acoustical cues to forage. Lemurs are unusual since they have great variability in their social structure, yet generally lack sexual dimorphism in size and canine tooth morphology. However, some species tend towards having larger females, and two species of true lemur (genus Eulemur ),

1666-790: A legendary sunken landmass mentioned in the Tamil literature, claiming that it was the cradle of civilization . A Tamil commentator, Adiyarkunallar , described the dimensions that extended between the Pahrali River and the Kumari River in the Pandyan country that was taken over by the ocean later on. Since the 1880s, the concept of Lemuria has had a prominent place in the mythology of Theosophy , anthroposophy and other occult beliefs, inspiring many novels, television shows, films, and music. These are not scientific ideas, but fall within

1785-592: A level of species diversity rivaling that of any other primate group. Living lemurs range in weight from the 30-gram (1.1 oz) mouse lemur to the 9-kilogram (20 lb) indri . Since the arrival of humans on the island around 2,000 years ago, over a dozen species of " giant lemurs " larger than living lemur species have become extinct, including the gorilla-sized Archaeoindris . Lemurs share many common basal primate traits, such as divergent digits on their hands and feet, and nails instead of claws (in most species). However, their brain-to-body size ratio

1904-435: A more thorough analysis. Lemurs vary greatly in size. They include the smallest primates in the world and, until recently, also included some of the largest. They currently range in size from about 30 g (1.1 oz) for Madame Berthe's mouse lemur ( Microcebus berthae ) up to 7–9 kg (15–20 lb) for the indri ( Indri indri ) and diademed sifaka ( Propithecus diadema ). One recently extinct species rivaled

2023-507: A single French Mascarene Islands chartered colony under one gouverneur général (governor general) contained Isle de France (now Mauritius ), Île Bourbon (Réunion) and Séchelles (Seychelles). On 14 July 1767 this became a French crown colony, still under one governor general. From 3 February 1803 until 2 September 1810 the French colony of Indes-Orientales , under a capitaine général (captain-general), included Réunion and (nominally)

2142-593: A small area of Montagne Cocotte in the island's southwest, above 750 metres elevation and with average annual rainfall of 4500–5500 mm. Trees form a dense canopy 6 to 10 metres high. Typical canopy trees include species of Dombeya on Réunion, and species of Monimia and Tambourissa ( Monimiaceae ) on both islands. There is an understory of small trees and shrubs including species of Psiadia ( Asteraceae ) and Melicope ( Rutaceae ). The forests are rich in epiphytes (orchids, ferns, mosses, lichens), emergent tree ferns ( Cyathea species), and, originally

2261-554: A southern continent about two decades before Sclater, but did not give it a name. The acceptance of Darwinism led scientists to seek to trace the diffusion of species from their points of evolutionary origin. Before the acceptance of continental drift , biologists frequently postulated the existence of submerged land masses to account for populations of land-based species now separated by barriers of water. Similarly, geologists tried to account for striking resemblances of rock formations on different continents. The first systematic attempt

2380-506: A thousand species of which several hundred are endemic. The Mascarene islands form a distinct ecoregion known as the Mascarene forests . Until Europeans first settled the islands in the sixteenth century the Mascarenes are not known to have harbored any human population, and the islands' wildlife was still flourishing during the early days of settlement. Today much of the natural vegetation is gone, and there are many introduced species on

2499-532: A total of 831 species, or 26.9% of the flowering plant flora. Another seven families contain 80 or more species each: Poaceae , Apocynaceae , Cyperaceae , Cunoniaceae , Rutaceae , Araliaceae , and Sapotaceae , representing an additional ca. 660 species in all, 21.3% of the angiosperm flora. Ferns are prominent components of the biotas of the islands, especially in the tropical forest. Most ferns disperse easily via ornithochory of their spores, allowing fairly frequent colonization from Madagascar and exchange among

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2618-402: A variety of reefs , atolls , and small islands. They present various topographical and edaphic regions. On the largest islands these gave rise to endemism and unusual biodiversity. The climate is oceanic and tropical . Mauritius is located 900 km east of Madagascar . It has an area of 1,865 km . The highest point is 828 meters above sea level. Mauritius is the most populous of

2737-415: A very long tongue , allowing it to feed on nectar . Likewise, the red-bellied lemur ( Eulemur rubriventer ) has a feathery brush-shaped tongue, also uniquely adapted to feed on nectar and pollen. The aye-aye has evolved some traits that are unique among primates, making it stand out among the lemurs. Such traits include continuously growing, rodent-like front teeth for gnawing through wood and hard seeds;

2856-435: A wide variety of fruits and leaves, while some are specialists. Two species of lemurs may coexist in the same forest due to different diets. Lemur research during the 18th and 19th centuries focused on taxonomy and specimen collection. Modern studies of lemur ecology and behavior did not begin in earnest until the 1950s and 1960s. Initially hindered by political issues on Madagascar during the mid-1970s, field studies resumed in

2975-760: Is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of La Réunion . Their name derives from the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas , who first visited them in April 1512. The islands share a common geological origin beneath the Mascarene Plateau known as the Mauritia microcontinent which

3094-659: Is basal to all Lemuriformes, and in 2008, Russell Mittermeier, Colin Groves, and others ignored addressing higher-level taxonomy by defining lemurs as monophyletic and containing five living families, including Daubentoniidae. Relationships among lemur families have also proven to be problematic and have yet to be definitively resolved. To further complicate the issue, several Paleogene fossil primates from outside Madagascar, such as Bugtilemur , have been classified as lemurs. However, scientific consensus does not accept these assignments based on genetic evidence, and therefore it

3213-448: Is endemic to Réunion, hatches in the sea before migrating to the rainforest streams where it lives its adult life. The Mascarene Islands are surrounded by approximately 750 square km of coral reef. Rodrigues has nearly continuous fringing reefs bounding an extensive lagoon, 7 to 20 km wide, with deep channels. Mauritius is also surrounded by a fringing reef. In contrast, Réunion has very short stretches of narrow fringing reef along

3332-503: Is extinct. The three largest islands have many freshwater streams which descend from the mountains to the sea. The upper reaches, particularly on Réunion, are fast-flowing and steep with numerous waterfalls. Tamarin Falls or Sept Cascades (293 m) on Mauritius is the highest waterfall on Mauritius, while Cascade Trou de Fer (725 m, ranks 23rd worldwide) on Réunion is the highest of the Mascarenes. The Grand River South East (34 km)

3451-600: Is generally accepted that the Malagasy primates are monophyletic. Another area of contention is the relationship between the sportive lemurs and the extinct koala lemurs (Megaladapidae). Formerly grouped in the same family due to similarities in dentition, they are no longer considered to be closely related due to genetic studies. More taxonomic changes have occurred at the genus level, although these revisions have proven more conclusive, often supported by genetic and molecular analysis. The most noticeable revisions included

3570-488: Is higher, varying from 2540 mm to 4445 mm annually. Tropical cyclones occur occasionally, bringing heavy rain and high winds, and causing erosion and landslides. The habitats of the Macarenes vary with the islands' size, topography, age, and proximity to Madagascar, the nearest major land mass. As is common among remote islands, the Mascarene fauna and flora display a high degree of endemism ; they include over

3689-670: Is highest in the rainforests of the east coast. Despite their adaptations for weathering extreme adversity, habitat destruction and hunting have resulted in lemur populations declining sharply, and their diversity has diminished, with the recent extinction of at least 17 species in eight genera, known collectively as the subfossil lemurs . Most of the approximately 100 species and subspecies of lemur are either threatened or endangered. Unless trends change, extinctions are likely to continue. Until recently, giant lemurs existed on Madagascar. Now represented only by recent or subfossil remains, they were modern forms that were once part of

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3808-596: Is now Asia; and that in Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands we have existing relics of this great continent, for which... I should propose the name Lemuria! Sclater's theory was hardly unusual for his time; " land bridges ", real and imagined, fascinated several of Sclater's contemporaries. Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire , also looking at the relationship between animals in India and Madagascar, had suggested

3927-516: Is now used in the colloquial sense in reference to all Malagasy primates. Lemur taxonomy is controversial, and not all experts agree, particularly with the recent increase in the number of recognized species. According to Russell Mittermeier , the president of Conservation International (CI), taxonomist Colin Groves , and others, there are nearly 100 recognized species or subspecies of extant (or living) lemur, divided into five families and 15 genera. Because genetic data indicates that

4046-506: Is smaller than that of anthropoid primates. As with all strepsirrhine primates, they have a "wet nose" ( rhinarium ). Lemurs are generally the most social of the strepsirrhine primates, living in groups known as troops. They communicate more with scents and vocalizations than with visual signals. Lemurs have a relatively low basal metabolic rate , and as a result may exhibit dormancy such as hibernation or torpor . They also have seasonal breeding and female social dominance . Most eat

4165-495: Is the largest of the islands (2,500 km ), followed by Mauritius (1,900 km ) and Rodrigues (110 km ). Eventually, Saya de Malha, Nazareth and Soudan were completely submerged, Cargados Carajos remaining as a coral atoll. The Réunion hotspot was beginning to cool and Rodrigues came out as a small island. Réunion is home to the highest peaks in the Mascarenes, the shield volcanoes Piton des Neiges (3,069 m) and Piton de la Fournaise (2,525 m). Piton de la Fournaise, on

4284-650: Is the longest river on Mauritius, followed by Rivière du Poste (23 km), Grand River North West (22 km), Rivière La Chaux (22 km), and Rivière des Créoles (20 km). Mauritius has two natural crater lakes, Grand Bassin and Bassin Blanc. There are about twenty species of fish which spend at least part of their lives in freshwater. The islands have five endemic freshwater fish species, all gobies (Gobiiformes) – Hypseleotris cyprinoides , Cotylopus acutipinnis , Glossogobius kokius , Gobius commersonii , and Oxyurichthys guibei . Cotylopus acutipinnis , which

4403-406: Is threatened with extinction. The extinct dodo , Cylindraspis tortoises , and broad-billed parrots , along with fruit bats , played an important role in dispersing the seeds. Passing through the animals' digestive tract aided in the seeds' germination. However the trees' decline may be mostly due to introduced crab-eating macaques ( Macaca fascicularis ) destroying unripened seeds. Much of

4522-536: The Cargados Carajos shoals , is a coral atoll group consisting of a barrier reef, shoals, and low islets. It is the remnant of one -or more- large volcanic islands sitting on the Mauritia (microcontinent) which were submerged by rising tides. Today, the thirty or so islands that comprise St Brandon form part of the Republic of Mauritius . Around seventeen of the uninhabited islands are administered by

4641-508: The Eocene (56 to 34  mya ) or Paleocene (66 to 56 mya). Adapiforms, however, lack a specialized arrangement of teeth, known as a toothcomb , which nearly all living strepsirrhines possess. A more recent hypothesis is that lemurs descended from lorisoids (loris-like) primates. This is supported by comparative studies of the cytochrome b gene and the presence of the strepsirrhine toothcomb in both groups. Instead of being

4760-666: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers lemurs to be the world's most endangered mammals, noting that as of 2013 up to 90% of all lemur species confront the threat of extinction in the wild within the next 20 to 25 years. Ring-tailed lemurs are an iconic flagship species . Collectively, lemurs exemplify the biodiverse fauna of Madagascar and have facilitated the emergence of eco-tourism . In addition, conservation organizations increasingly seek to implement community-based approaches to save lemur species and promote sustainability. Carl Linnaeus ,

4879-584: The Lemurian Fellowship and other things "Lemurian". All share a common belief that a continent existed in what is now either the Pacific Ocean or the Indian Ocean in ancient times and claim that it became submerged as a result of a geological cataclysm. An important element of the mythology of Lemuria is that it was the location of the emergence of complex knowledge systems that formed the basis for later beliefs. The concept of Lemuria

Lemuria - Misplaced Pages Continue

4998-591: The Mozambique Channel , a deep channel between Africa and Madagascar with a minimum width of about 560 km (350 mi). 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. This form of biological dispersal can occur randomly over millions of years. In

5117-653: The abyssal plain at its edges. The southern part of the plateau, including the Saya de Malha Bank , Nazareth Bank , Soudan Banks and Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon) (then one large island), was formed by the Réunion hotspot. These were once volcanic islands, much like Mauritius and Réunion, which have now sunk or eroded to below sea level or, in the case of the Cargados Carajos, to low coral islands. The Saya de Malha Bank formed 35 million years ago, and

5236-407: The dodo of Mauritius. Thirteen additional species of birds became extinct, including the Réunion flightless ibis , broad-billed parrot , red rail , Rodrigues rail , and Rodrigues solitaire . Contemporary sources state that the dodo used gizzard stones and could swallow Ocotea fruits. Seed distribution of at least some Ocotea species is performed by frugivorous birds and there exist

5355-471: The gorilla in size, at 160–200 kg (350–440 lb) for Archaeoindris fontoynonti . Like all primates, lemurs have five divergent digits with nails (in most cases) on their hands and feet. Most lemurs possess a laterally compressed, elongated nail, called a toilet-claw , on the second toe and use it for scratching and grooming. In addition to the toilet-claw, lemurs share a variety of other traits with other strepsirrhine primates, which include

5474-416: The gray-headed lemur ( E. albocollaris ) and the red lemur ( E. rufus ), exhibit size differences in canine teeth. True lemurs show sexual dichromatism (sexual differences in fur coloration), but the difference between the genders varies from strikingly obvious, as in the blue-eyed black lemur ( E. macaco ), to nearly imperceptible in the case of the common brown lemur ( E. fulvus ). Crypsis , or

5593-562: The superfamily Lemuroidea ( / l ɛ m j ʊ ˈ r ɔɪ d i ə / lem-yuurr- OY -dee-ə ), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species . They are endemic to the island of Madagascar . Most existing lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They chiefly live in trees and are active at night . Lemurs share resemblance with other primates , but evolved independently from monkeys and apes . Due to Madagascar's highly seasonal climate, lemur evolution has produced

5712-449: The toothcomb of most lemurs, the bottom incisors and canine teeth are procumbent (face forward rather than up) and finely spaced, thus providing a tool for either grooming or feeding. For instance, indri use their toothcomb not only for grooming, but also to pry out the large seeds from the tough epicarp of Beilschmiedia fruits, while fork-marked lemurs use their relatively long toothcomb to cut through tree bark to induce

5831-595: The 'Outer Islands Development Corporation' of Mauritius (an entity run by the Prime Minister of Mauritius through the Prime Minister's Office) whilst the remaining Thirteen Islands of St. Brandon are managed by the Raphael Fishing Company from three permanently inhabited island bases of Ile Raphael , L'île du Sud (South Island, l'île Boisées) and L'Île Coco . The Raphael Fishing Company was granted these Thirteen Islands of St. Brandon under

5950-554: The 1890s and early 1900s, including the writings of nationalist Australian poet Bernard O'Dowd , author Rosa Campbell Praed in My Australian Girlhood, author John David Hennessey in An Australian Bush Track and George Firth Scott 's novel The Last Lemurian: A Westralian Romance. Robert Dixon suggests that the popularity of the idea of "lost races" like Lemurians and Atlanteans reflected

6069-525: The 1940s, American paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson coined the term "sweepstakes hypothesis" for such random events. Rafting has since been the most accepted explanation for the lemur colonization of Madagascar, but until recently, this trip was thought to be very unlikely because strong ocean currents flow away from the island. In January 2010 , a report demonstrated that around 60 mya both Madagascar and Africa were 1,650 km (1,030 mi) south of their present-day positions, placing them in

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6188-521: The 1960s, the scientific community accepted Alfred Wegener 's theory of continental drift , presented in 1912, but the idea lived on in the popular imagination, especially in relation to the Theosophist tradition. Lemuria was hypothesized as a land bridge , now sunken, which would account for certain discontinuities in biogeography . This idea has been rendered obsolete by modern theories of plate tectonics . Sunken continents such as Zealandia in

6307-709: The 1980s. Lemurs are important for research because their mix of ancestral characteristics and traits shared with anthropoid primates can yield insights on primate and human evolution . Most species have been discovered or promoted to full species status since the 1990s; however, lemur taxonomic classification is controversial and depends on which species concept is used. Many lemur species remain endangered due to habitat loss and hunting. Although local traditions, such as fady , generally help protect lemurs and their forests, illegal logging , economic privation and political instability conspire to thwart conservation efforts. Because of these threats and their declining numbers,

6426-528: The Caribbean, featured a succession of takeovers between rival powers: the Portuguese, Dutch, French and British all ruled some or all of the islands. Around 1507, the explorer Diogo Fernandes Pereira discovered the island group. The area remained under nominal Portuguese rule until Étienne de Flacourt arrived with a French naval squadron and took possession in 1649. From 4 June 1735 to 23 March 1746,

6545-509: The Mascarene Islands' land area. Terrestrial protected areas on Mauritius include Black River Gorges National Park , Bras d'Eau National Park , Perrier Nature Reserve , Corps de Garde Nature Reserve , Le Pouce Nature Reserve , Cabinet Nature Reserve, Gouly Pere Nature Reserve, and Bois Sec Nature Reserve. There are 32 designated protected areas on Réunion, including Réunion National Park (1055.15 km ), which cover 63.13% of

6664-512: The Mascarene Islands, with a population of 1,252,964. Réunion is located 150 km southwest of Mauritius. It is the largest of the islands, with an area of 2512 km . Piton des Neiges (3,069 m), an extinct volcano, is the highest peak on Réunion and in the islands. Piton de la Fournaise is an active volcano on Réunion which erupts frequently. Rodrigues is located 574 km east of Mauritius. It has an area of 109 km , and reaches 393 meters elevation. St. Brandon , also known as

6783-484: The Mascarene Islands. Other endemic genera include Berenice , Heterochaenia , Nesocodon , Ruizia , and Astiria . There are 24 species of trees and shrubs in the Mascarenes from subfamily Dombeyoideae , 23 of which are endemic to the islands. The Macarenes' endemic species are polyphyletic and split into nine clades. Trochetia appears monophyletic and more closely related to Eriolaena and Helmiopsis than to Dombeya . All Dombeya taxa are included in

6902-525: The Mascarene islands. The Mascarenes are home to many endemic species of Dombeyoideae , the monotypic genus Psiloxylon ( Psiloxylon mauritianum ), and members of the family Monimiaceae (the genera Monimia and Trochetia , and species of Tambourissa ) and Escalloniaceae . Indigenous trees include species of the genera Ocotea , Erythrina , Sideroxylon , and Foetidia . The palm genera Latania , Hyophorbe , Acanthophoenix , Dictyosperma , and Tectiphiala are all endemic to

7021-414: The Mascarenes' native fauna has become endangered or extinct since the human settlement of the islands in the 17th century. Settlers cleared most of the forests for agriculture and grazing, and introduced many exotic species, including pigs , rats , cats , monkeys , and mongooses . Many of the Mascarene birds evolved into flightless forms, the most famous of which was the extinct flightless pigeon ,

7140-600: The Middle East, Sclater proposed that Madagascar and India had once been part of a larger continent (he was correct in this; though in reality this was Mauritia and the supercontinent Gondwana ). The anomalies of the mammal fauna of Madagascar can best be explained by supposing that... a large continent occupied parts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans... that this continent was broken up into islands, of which some have become amalgamated with... Africa, some... with what

7259-475: The Nazareth Bank and the Cargados Carajos shoals after that. Limestone banks found on the plateau are the remnants of coral reefs , indicating that the plateau was a succession of islands. Some of the banks may have been islands as recently as 18,000–6,000 years ago, when sea levels were as much as 130 meters lower during the most recent ice age . The early colonial history of the islands, like that of

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7378-469: The Pacific , which popularized the idea that Shasta was a repository for Lemurians. In the 1930s, Guy Warren Ballard claimed to have been approached by Saint Germain who told him he could endow him with knowledge and wisdom. Ballard wrote and published the book Unveiled Mysteries under the alias Godfré Ray King, where Ballard claimed to be the person that Saint Germain was speaking through to get to

7497-657: The Pacific, and Mauritia and the Kerguelen Plateau in the Indian Ocean do exist, but no geological formation under the Indian or Pacific oceans is known that could have served as a land bridge between these continents. The idea of Lemuria was later incorporated into the philosophy of Theosophy and has persisted as a theme in pseudoarchaeology and discussions of lost lands . There is a vast fringe literature pertaining to Lemuria and to related concepts such as

7616-641: The Seychelles. It is postulated from navigational charts, such as the Cantino planisphere of 1502, that Arab sailors first discovered Mauritius around 975, calling it Dina Arobi ( abandoned island ). The earliest confirmed discovery on record was in 1507 by Portuguese sailors. The Dutch took physical possession in 1598, establishing a succession of short-lived settlements over a period of about 120 years, before abandoning their efforts in 1710. France took control in 1715, renaming it Isle de France . In 1810,

7735-569: The United Kingdom invaded the island to protect its East India ships coming around the Cape of Good Hope from French pirates. Four years later, at the Treaty of Paris, France ceded Mauritius and its dependencies to the United Kingdom. Under British Mauritius (1810-1968), the island successfully developed as a sugar cane-based plantation economy and colony until independence in 1968. Rodrigues

7854-467: The absence of proto-human " missing links " in the fossil record. According to another source, Haeckel put forward this thesis before Sclater, without using the name "Lemuria". The Lemuria theory disappeared completely from conventional scientific consideration after the theories of plate tectonic and continental drift were accepted by the larger scientific community. According to the theory of plate tectonics, Madagascar and India were indeed once part of

7973-417: The adjacent image. Lemur taxonomy has changed significantly since the first taxonomic classification of lemurs by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. One of the greatest challenges has been the classification of the aye-aye, which has been a topic of debate up until very recently. Until Richard Owen published a definitive anatomical study in 1866, early naturalists were uncertain whether the aye-aye (genus Daubentonia )

8092-1262: The annual "I AM COME!" Pageant, on the Life of Jesus the Christ in Mt. Shasta. The Rainbow Family hosts a Rainbow Gathering every August to commemorate the pilgrimage. These religions are often a mix of spiritual practices, based largely on native, Christian, Buddhist and Taoist traditions, synthesizing their beliefs, and excluding "negative" aspects of such religions. For example, the Saint Germain Foundation . does not include Jesus' crucifixion in their teachings. [REDACTED] Africa [REDACTED] Antarctica [REDACTED] Asia [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] Europe [REDACTED] North America [REDACTED] South America [REDACTED] Afro-Eurasia [REDACTED] Americas [REDACTED] Eurasia [REDACTED] Oceania Lemur Lemurs ( / ˈ l iː m ər / LEE -mər ; from Latin lemures lit.   ' ghosts ' or ' spirits ' ) are wet-nosed primates of

8211-485: The anxieties of colonial Australians, that "when Englishness is lost there is nothing to replace it". A. L. McCann attributes Praed's use of the Lemuria trope to an "attempt to create a lineage for white settlers without having to confront the annihilation of Indigenous people". In 1894, Frederick Spencer Oliver published A Dweller on Two Planets , an occult book which claimed that survivors from Lemuria were living in

8330-468: The arrival of humans roughly 1500 to 2000 years ago, lemurs were found all across the island. However, early settlers quickly converted the forests to rice paddies and grassland through slash-and-burn agriculture (known locally as tavy ), restricting lemurs to approximately 10% of the island's area, ~60,000 km (23,000 sq mi). Today, the diversity and complexity of lemur communities increases with floral diversity and precipitation and

8449-526: The aye-aye, and the extinct sloth lemurs , monkey lemurs , and koala lemurs have reduced dentitions, having lost incisors, canines, or premolars. The ancestral deciduous dentition is 2.1.3 2.1.3 , but young indriids, aye-ayes, koala lemurs, sloth lemurs, and probably monkey lemurs have fewer deciduous teeth. There are also noticeable differences in dental morphology and tooth topography between lemurs. Indri , for instance, have teeth that are perfectly adapted for shearing leaves and crushing seeds. In

8568-621: The book Lost Continents: The Atlantis Theme in History, Science, and Literature (1954) by L. Sprague de Camp . In 1864, "The Mammals of Madagascar" by zoologist and biogeographer Philip Sclater appeared in The Quarterly Journal of Science . Using a classification he referred to as lemurs , but which included related primate groups, and puzzled by the presence of their fossils in Madagascar and India, but not in Africa or

8687-455: The case of mouse lemurs, the gray mouse lemur ( M. murinus ), golden-brown mouse lemur ( M. ravelobensis ), and Goodman's mouse lemur ( M. lehilahytsara ) were considered the same species until recently, when genetic tests identified them as cryptic species. The lemur dentition is heterodont (having multiple tooth morphologies) and derives from an ancestral primate permanent dentition of 2.1.3.3 2.1.3.3 . Indriids, sportive lemurs,

8806-751: The coast and 360 metres elevation on Mauritius and Rodrigues, and from 200 to 750 metres elevation on the western slopes of Réunion, where only small patches of such forest now remain. Average annual rainfall in the semi-dry forests ranges from 1000 to 1500 mm. Tree genera and families well-represented in the semi-dry forests include ebony species in the genus Diospyros ( Ebenaceae ), Pleurostylia ( Celastraceae ), Foetidia ( Lecythidaceae ), Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata ( Oleaceae ), Cossinia pinnata ( Sapindaceae ) Dombeya ( Malvaceae ), Terminalia bentzoe ( Combretaceae ), and Sideroxylon boutonianum , Sideroxylon borbonicum , and various species of Mimusops in family Sapotaceae . Shrubs in

8925-1309: The coast to 800–900 metres elevation, and above 360 m on the western slopes. On Réunion lowland rain forests are found between 750 and 1100 m. They occur in areas with average annual rainfall of 1500 to 6000 mm. Characteristic trees include species of Mimusops and Labourdonnaisia ( Sapotaceae ), Hernandia mascarenensis ( Hernandiaceae ), Calophyllum ( Clusiaceae ), and species of Syzygium , Eugenia , Sideroxylon , and Monimiastrum ( Myrtaceae ). Characteristic shrubs include species of Gaertnera , Chassalia , Bertiera , and Coffea in family Rubiaceae . Other plants include bamboos like Nastus borbonicus , numerous species of orchids (e.g., Angraecum , Bulbophyllum ) and ferns e.g., Asplenium , Hymenophyllum , Trichomanes , Elaphoglossum , and Marattia fraxinea . The cloud forests are evergreen rain forests found on mountain slopes with high rainfall. They occur on Réunion between 800 and 1900 metres elevation on eastern slopes with an average annual rainfall of 2000–10,000 mm, and between 1100 and 2000 metres on western slopes with an average annual rainfall of 2000–3000 mm. By 2005, relatively intact cloud forests still covered approximately 44,000 ha on Réunion. On Mauritius they are restricted to

9044-455: The direct ancestors of lemurs, the adapiforms may have given rise to both the lemurs and lorisoids, a split that would be supported by molecular phylogenetic studies. The later split between lemurs and lorises is thought to have occurred approximately 62 to 65 mya according to molecular studies, although other genetic tests and the fossil record in Africa suggest more conservative estimates of 50 to 55 mya for this divergence. However,

9163-564: The environment. Lemurs have adapted to fill many open ecological niches since making their way to Madagascar. Their diversity in both behavior and morphology (outward appearance) rivals that of the monkeys and apes found elsewhere in the world. Ranging in size from the 30 g (1.1 oz) Madame Berthe's mouse lemur , the world's smallest primate, to the recently extinct 160–200 kg (350–440 lb) Archaeoindris fontoynonti , lemurs evolved diverse forms of locomotion, varying levels of social complexity, and unique adaptations to

9282-416: The flow of tree sap . The toothcomb is kept clean by the sublingua or "under-tongue", a specialized structure that acts like a toothbrush to remove hair and other debris. The sublingua extends below the tip of the tongue and is tipped with keratinized , serrated points that rake between the front teeth. Only the aye-aye, the extinct giant aye-aye , and the largest of the extinct giant sloth lemurs lack

9401-472: The founder of modern binomial nomenclature , gave lemurs their name as early as 1758. With his declaration of the genus Lemur in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae , he included three species: Lemur tardigradus (the red slender loris , now known as Loris tardigradus ), Lemur catta (the ring-tailed lemur ), and Lemur volans (the Philippine colugo , now known as Cynocephalus volans ). Although

9520-421: The full range of lemur sizes. Daubentoniidae Lemuridae Indriidae Lepilemuridae Cheirogaleidae Daubentoniidae Lepilemuridae Cheirogaleidae Lemuridae † Megaladapidae Indriidae † Palaeopropithecidae † Archaeolemuridae From a taxonomic standpoint, the term "lemur" originally referred to the genus Lemur , which currently contains only the ring-tailed lemur . The term

9639-540: The genus Cylindraspis . There are 13 living endemic reptile species, including a number of species of day geckoes ( genus Phelsuma ). The islands' only native mammals are bats , including the Mauritian flying fox ( Pteropus niger ), which is endemic to Mauritius and Réunion, and the Rodrigues flying fox ( Pteropus rodricensis ) found only on Rodrigues. The lesser Mascarene flying fox ( Pteropus subniger )

9758-550: The gradual split of a broadly defined genus Lemur into separate genera for the ring-tailed lemur , ruffed lemurs , and brown lemurs due to a host of morphological differences. Due to several taxonomic revisions by Russell Mittermeier, Colin Groves, and others, the number of recognized lemur species has grown from 33 species and subspecies in 1994 to approximately 100 in 2008. With continuing cytogenetic and molecular genetic research, as well as ongoing field studies , particularly with cryptic species such as mouse lemurs,

9877-453: The highest population densities in the world. All of the islands have experienced significant losses of habitats. Many of the surviving endemic species are still threatened with extinction and have little protection. Less than 40 percent of Réunion is covered with natural vegetation, only about 5 percent of Mauritius, and almost none of Rodrigues. On Réunion, forest has been cleared for agriculture and then overtaken by introduced plants. Mauritius

9996-425: The inability of humans to visually distinguish between two or more distinct species, has recently been discovered among lemurs, particularly within the sportive lemurs ( Lepilemur ) and mouse lemurs ( Microcebus ). With sportive lemurs, subspecies were traditionally defined based on slight morphological differences, but new genetic evidence has supported giving full species status to these regional populations. In

10115-472: The islands co-evolved with the island's unique fauna over millions of years. The human-caused extinction of several of the Mascarenes' land animals, and the introduction of exotic animals to the islands by humans, has disrupted the reproduction and thriving of various island plants. For example, the Tambalacoque tree ( Sideroxylon grandiflorum ), often called the dodo tree, is not producing young trees and

10234-558: The islands. In prehistoric times the islands were covered in a diverse range of tropical moist broadleaf forests . The plant communities are not homogeneous, and comprise at least five fairly distinct vegetation zones that reflect variations in altitude and in moisture regime. These include dry lowland forests, semi-dry sclerophyllous forests, lowland rainforests, montane cloud forests, and high-elevation heathlands on Réunion. Coastal habitats include beach vegetation, coastal wetlands , and swamp forests , grading into lowland rain forest on

10353-460: The lemurs and the rest of the terrestrial Malagasy fauna from mainland Africa. Isolated on Madagascar with only a limited number of mammalian competitors, the lemurs did not have to compete with other evolving arboreal mammalian groups, such as squirrels . They were also spared from having to compete with monkeys , which evolved later. The intelligence, aggression, and deceptiveness of monkeys gave them an advantage over other primates in exploiting

10472-769: The local climate. Lemurs lack any shared traits that make them stand out from all other primates. Different types of lemurs have evolved unique combinations of unusual traits to cope with Madagascar's harsh, seasonal climate. These traits can include seasonal fat storage, hypometabolism (including torpor and hibernation ), small group sizes, low encephalization (relative brain size), cathemerality (activity both day and night), and strict breeding seasons . Extreme resource limitations and seasonal breeding are also thought to have given rise to three other relatively common lemur traits: female social dominance , sexual monomorphism, and male–male competition for mates involving low levels of agonism , such as sperm competition . Before

10591-401: The mountains, averaging 18 °C. During the winter short-lived snow can fall on Réunion's high peaks. Southeasterly trade winds blow throughout the year. Rainfall is generally higher on the windward sides of the islands. On Mauritius average annual rainfall in the lowlands varies from 1905 mm on the windward southeast coast to 890 mm on the leeward side. Rainfall in the mountains

10710-445: The number of recognized lemur species is likely to keep growing. However, the rapid increase in the number of recognized species has had its critics among taxonomists and lemur researchers. Since classifications ultimately depend on the species concept used, conservationists often favor definitions that result in the splitting of genetically distinct populations into separate species to gain added environmental protection. Others favor

10829-492: The oldest lemur fossils on Madagascar are actually subfossils dating to the Late Pleistocene . Once part of the supercontinent Gondwana , the island of Madagascar has been isolated since it broke away from eastern Africa (~160 mya), Antarctica (~80–130 mya), and India (~80–90 mya). Since ancestral lemurs are thought to have originated in Africa around 62 to 65 mya, they must have crossed

10948-556: The palms Acanthophoenix rubra , but poaching has wiped out palms in many areas of Réunion. Three monodominant plant communities are also found in the cloud forests – forests of Acacia heterophylla (Fabaceae) as the canopy tree, which are similar to the Acacia koa forests in Hawaii , thickets dominated by Erica reunionensis ( Ericaceae ), and hyperhumid forests of screw-pine ( Pandanus montanus ). Subalpine shrub occurs on

11067-425: The realm of pseudoarchaeology and popular culture . Blavatsky claimed that Australia was a remnant inland region of Lemuria and that Aboriginal Australians and Aboriginal Tasmanians (which she identified as separate groups) were of Lemurian and Lemuro-Atlantean origin, after cross-breeding with animals. Her idea was subsequently developed in pseudo-histories and fiction of the white Australian popular culture of

11186-417: The recently extinct subfossil lemurs were closely related to living lemurs, an additional three families, eight genera, and 17 species can be included in the total. In contrast, other experts have labeled this as taxonomic inflation , instead preferring a total closer to 50 species. The classification of lemurs within the suborder Strepsirrhini is equally controversial, although most experts agree on

11305-679: The rest of the lemurs were placed in Lemuriformes and the lorisoids in Lorisiformes. Although it is generally agreed that the aye-aye is the most basal member of the lemur clade, the relationship between the other four families is less clear since they diverged during a narrow 10 to 12 million-year window between the Late Eocene (42 mya) and into the Oligocene (30 mya). The two main competing hypotheses are shown in

11424-640: The rich lemur diversity that has evolved in isolation. Some of their adaptations were unlike those seen in their living relatives. All 17 extinct lemurs were larger than the extant (living) forms, some weighing as much as 200 kg (440 lb), and are thought to have been active during the day. Not only were they unlike the living lemurs in both size and appearance, they also filled ecological niches that either no longer exist or are now left unoccupied. Large parts of Madagascar, which are now devoid of forests and lemurs, once hosted diverse primate communities that included more than 20 lemur species covering

11543-451: The same phylogenetic tree . In one taxonomy, the infraorder Lemuriformes contains all living strepsirrhines in two superfamilies, Lemuroidea for all lemurs and Lorisoidea for the lorisoids ( lorisids and galagos). Alternatively, the lorisoids are sometimes placed in their own infraorder, Lorisiformes, separate from the lemurs. In another taxonomy published by Colin Groves, the aye-aye was placed in its own infraorder, Chiromyiformes, while

11662-404: The same landmass (thus accounting for geological resemblances), but plate movement caused India to break away millions of years ago, and move to its present location. The original landmass, Mauritia and the supercontinent Gondwana prior to that, broke apart; it predominantly did not sink beneath sea level. Some Tamil writers such as Devaneya Pavanar have associated Lemuria with Kumari Kandam ,

11781-481: The scientific community. Occultist and founder of theosophy Helena Blavatsky , during the latter part of the 19th century, placed Lemuria in the system of her mystical-religious doctrine, claiming that this continent was the homeland of the human ancestors, whom she called Lemurians. The writings of Blavatsky had a significant impact on Western esotericism , popularizing the myth of Lemuria and its mystical inhabitants. Theories about Lemuria became untenable when, in

11900-478: The semi-dry forests include several spectacular endemic species of Hibiscus ( Malvaceae ), Zanthoxylum ( Rutaceae ), Obetia ficifolia ( Urticaceae ), and Scolopia heterophylla ( Flacourtiaceae ). The lowland rain forests are characterized by dense evergreen forests, composed of diverse species creating a canopy of 30 meters or more in height. They are found on the Mauritius' eastern lowlands from

12019-412: The small tree Sophora denudata ( Fabaceae ) are found on weathered volcanic substrates. Most of the indigenous Mascarene flora and fauna are thought to have descended originally from Madagascan and African ancestors. The four largest families present in the Mascarene Islands are Myrtaceae , Rubiaceae , Orchidaceae , and Euphorbiaceae , which comprise between 193 and 223 species each, for

12138-620: The southeastern corner of Réunion, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, erupting last in December 2021. Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire (828 m) is the highest peak on Mauritius, and the gentle hills of Rodrigues rise to only 390 m. The Mascarene Plateau is an undersea plateau that extends approximately 2000 km, from the Seychelles to Réunion. The plateau covers an area of over 115,000 km of shallow water, with depths ranging from 8 to 150 meters, plunging to 4000 m to

12257-608: The term lemur was first intended for slender lorises , it was soon limited to the endemic Malagasy primates, which have been known as collectively "lemurs" ever since. The name lemur is derived from the Latin term lemures , which refers to specters or ghosts that were exorcised during the Lemuria festival of ancient Rome. Linnaeus was familiar with the works of Virgil and Ovid , both of whom mentioned lemures. Seeing an analogy that fit with his naming scheme, he adapted

12376-906: The term lemur was selected because of the nocturnal activity and slow movements of the red slender loris: Lemures dixi hos, quod noctu imprimis obambulant, hominibus quodanmodo similes, & lento passu vagantur. I call them lemurs, because they go around mainly by night, in a certain way similar to humans, and roam with a slow pace. Lemurs are primates belonging to the suborder Strepsirrhini . Like other strepsirrhine primates , such as lorises , pottos , and galagos , they share ancestral (or plesiomorphic ) traits with early primates. In this regard, lemurs are popularly confused with ancestral primates; however, lemurs did not give rise to monkeys and apes ( simians ). Instead, they evolved independently in isolation on Madagascar . All modern strepsirrhines including lemurs are traditionally thought to have evolved from early primates known as adapiforms during

12495-515: The term "lemur" for these nocturnal primates. It was noted in 2012 that many sources had commonly and falsely assumed that Linnaeus was referring to the ghost-like appearance, reflective eyes , and ghostly cries of Madagascar's lemurs when he selected the name. Up until then, it had also been speculated that Linnaeus may also have known that some Malagasy people believed that lemurs were the souls of their ancestors . However, both claims were discredited since according to Linnaeus' own explanation,

12614-731: The toothcomb on the mandible (lower jaw), this complex is reminiscent of an ungulate browsing pad . Lemurs are unusual among primates for their rapid dental development, particularly among the largest species. For example, indriids have relatively slow body growth but extremely fast tooth formation and eruption . By contrast, anthropoid primates exhibit slower dental development with increased size and slower morphological development. Lemurs are also dentally precocious at birth, and have their full permanent dentition at weaning . Mascarene Islands The Mascarene Islands ( English: / m æ s k ə ˈ r iː n / , French : Mascareignes ) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago

12733-826: The volcanoes on Réunion, above the treeline at 1800 to 2000 metres elevation. Average annual rainfall is from 2000 to 6000 mm, and frosts occur regularly in winter. Characteristic shrubs include Erica reunionensis and Erica galioides (Ericaceae), Stoebe passerinoides and species of Hubertia and Psiadia (Asteraceae), and Phylica nitida ( Rhamnaceae ). Herbaceous endemic species include Heterochaenia rivalsii (Campanulaceae), Eriotrix commersonii (Asteraceae), and Cynoglossum borbonicum ( Boraginaceae ). Recent volcanic deposits on Réunion's volcanic summits are covered by sparse grasslands rich in endemic grasses, including Festuca borbonica , Agrostis salaziensis , and Cenchrus afer . along with orchids like Disa borbonica . Ericoid thickets and thickets of

12852-838: The western and southwestern coasts only. The islets of the Cargados Carajos Shoals, which have a very depauperate terrestrial biota owing to being so low-lying and swamped during cyclones, are bound to the east by an extensive arc of fringing reef, which accounts for ~30% of the reefs of the Mascarene Islands. Lagoon reefs and reef flats are dominated by scleractinian corals such as branching and tabular Acropora , Porites massives, foliaceous Montipora and Pavona , and sand consolidated with beds of seagrass such Halophila ( Hydrocharitaceae ). Among coral reef fishes, wrasses ( Labridae ), damselfish ( Pomacentridae ), carnivorous groupers ( Serranidae ), and surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) have many species. Mauritius has one of

12971-442: The windward sides of the islands and lowland dry forests to leeward. The dry lowland forests are found on the leeward sides of the islands, from sea level to 200 metres in areas with less than 1000 mm of average annual rainfall. Palms are the dominant trees, including species of Latania and Dictyosperma album , along with the palm-like screw-pines ( Pandanus spp.). Semi-dry sclerophyllous forests are found between

13090-707: The world. The belief in Telos has been proliferated by Ballard and his followers , as well as other religious groups like the Ascended Masters , the Great White Brotherhood , The Bridge to Freedom , The Summit Lighthouse , Church Universal and Triumphant , and Kryon . Every year, members of these religious groups make pilgrimage to Mount Shasta, a journey that is marked by various yearly festivals and events. The Saint Germain Foundation hosts

13209-482: Was a Precambrian microcontinent situated between India and Madagascar until their separation about 70 million years ago. They form a distinct ecoregion with unique biodiversity and endemism of flora and fauna. The archipelago comprises three large islands, Mauritius , Réunion , and Rodrigues , plus a number of volcanic remnants in the tropics of the southwestern Indian Ocean, generally between 700 and 1,500 kilometres east of Madagascar. The terrain includes

13328-416: Was a primate , rodent , or marsupial . However, the placement of the aye-aye within the order Primates remained problematic until very recently. Based on its anatomy, researchers have found support for classifying the genus Daubentonia as a specialized indriid , a sister group to all strepsirrhines, and as an indeterminate taxon within the order Primates. Molecular tests have now shown Daubentoniidae

13447-725: Was developed in detail by James Churchward , who referred to it as Mu and identified it as a lost continent in the Pacific Ocean. Churchward appropriated this name from Augustus Le Plongeon , who had used the concept of the "Land of Mu" to refer to the legendary lost continent of Atlantis . Churchward's books included The Lost Continent of Mu, the Motherland of Men (1926), The Children of Mu (1931), The Sacred Symbols of Mu (1933), Cosmic Forces of Mu (1934), and Second Book of Cosmic Forces of Mu (1935). The relationships between Lemuria/Mu and Atlantis are discussed in detail in

13566-548: Was first discovered by the Arabs but named after Portuguese navigator Diogo Rodrigues . It was under Dutch control in 1601 and settled by the French in 1691. Britain took possession of Rodrigues in 1809. When Mauritius gained independence in 1968, Rodrigues was forcefully joined to it. Rodrigues remains an autonomous region of Mauritius. Réunion was discovered first by the Arabs then by the Portuguese, who named it Santa Apolónia. It

13685-623: Was largely converted to sugar cane, tea, and conifer plantations. On Rodrigues, shifting cultivation has caused the damage. On 8 May 2024, Saint Brandon Conservation Trust , an independent Mauritian NGO, was internationally launched at the Corporate Council on Africa in Dallas, Texas, to protect St. Brandon from pollution and to protect surviving flora and fauna in the Cargados Carajos . Protected areas constitute 40.6% of

13804-431: Was made by Melchior Neumayr in his book Erdgeschichte in 1887. Many hypothetical submerged land bridges and continents were proposed during the 19th century to account for the present distribution of species. After gaining some acceptance within the scientific community, the concept of Lemuria began to appear in the works of other scholars. Ernst Haeckel , a Darwinian taxonomist , proposed Lemuria as an explanation for

13923-1231: Was named after this bird. Today 17 endemic bird species survive on the islands. Two species – the Mascarene paradise flycatcher ( Terpsiphone bourbonnensis ) and Mascarene swiftlet ( Aerodramus francicus ) – inhabit both Mauritius and Réunion. Eight species are endemic to Mauritius – the Mauritius grey white-eye , ( Zosterops mauritianus ), Mauritius cuckooshrike ( Lalage typica ), Mauritius kestrel ( Falco punctatus ), Mauritius fody ( Foudia rubra ), Mauritius bulbul ( Hypsipetes olivaceus ), Mauritius parakeet ( Psittacula eques ), Mauritius olive white-eye ( Zosterops chloronothos ), and pink pigeon ( Nesoenas mayeri ). The Réunion grey white-eye ( Zosterops borbonicus ), Réunion cuckooshrike ( Lalage newtoni ), Réunion stonechat ( Saxicola tectes ), Réunion olive white-eye ( Zosterops olivaceus ), and Réunion bulbul ( Hypsipetes borbonicus ) are endemic to Réunion. The Rodrigues warbler ( Acrocephalus rodericanus ) and Rodrigues fody ( Foudia flavicans ) are found only on Rodrigues. Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodrigues were also once each home to one or more species of giant tortoises , now extinct, which comprised

14042-425: Was the first of the Mascarene islands to rise out of the Indian Ocean due to the Réunion hotspot , followed by Nazareth Bank (approximately 2 mya later), Soudan Bank and Cargados Carajos . The youngest islands to form were Mauritius (7–10 mya), the oldest of the existing islands, created along with the undersea Rodrigues ridge. The islands of Rodrigues and Réunion were created in the last two million years. Réunion

14161-605: Was then occupied by the French as part of Mauritius. It was first inhabited by French mutineers who arrived on the island between 1646 and 1669. It was given its current name in 1793. From 1810 to 1815 it was held by the British, before being returned to France. Réunion became an overseas department of France in 1946. The climate of the islands is tropical. At low elevations summer temperatures (December to April) average 30 °C. Winter temperatures (May to November) are generally cooler, around 25 °C. Temperatures are cooler in

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