Do you know what family does an Aye-Aye belong to? The animal kingdom is made of several creatures of various sizes and shapes. The Aye-Aye is one of this numerous creatures and we will get to learn about its family here.
For us to really understand the Aye-Aye and its evolution, we need to understand its family tree and the group it belongs to.
The Aye-Aye’s Family
The Aye-Aye is a specie of the lemur family. This is a primate that primarily found in the island of Madagascar.
The lemurs belong to the infraorder Lemuriformes and a suborder Strepsirrhini which is mainly made up of “wet-nosed” primates.
This type of family has features like a specialized grooming claw on their second toe and a great sense of smell.
The Aye-Aye specifically, is grouped under the family Daubentoniidae. This family has only the Aye-Aye as it member and can be recognized through its physical characteristics.
Their characteristics include long bony fingers, bat-like ears and large bushy tails.
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Evolutionary Significance
The Daubentoniidae which is the Aye-Aye’s family has an important position in the evolutionary history of primates.
The Lemur represents a long standing branch of the primate tree. Its lineage dates back to more than a million years ago.
The unique adaptation of the Aye-Aye such as its special middle finger used for tapping the bark of trees to capture insects hidden beneath these trees shows its evolution within their primate order.
Conservation Threats
The Aye-Aye even though a wonderful creature, faces a lots of threats to its survival and existence especially because of the destruction of its natural habitat and activities of humans.
The importance to preserve the habitat of the Aye-Aye in Madagascar cannot be overemphasized. Several conservation activities are being put in place to preserve this beautiful island that houses the Aye-Aye.