When was the Aye-Aye Discovered? You may have pondered on this to know its evolution story. The Aye-Aye is unique, known for its unusual appearance and it goes way back to the 18th century when it was first found in Madagascar. Let’s get to learn more about its origin as we move ahead.
When was the Aye-Aye Discovered?
Aye-Aye is a very fascinating and hard to understand primate which is native to Madagascar. Its features which are unique makes it stand out from other members of the lemur family.
Historical Background
Officially, the discovery of the Aye-Aye can be traced to the 18th century but has been in the folklore of Madagascar for the longest time.
The people of Madagascar has been used to its existence especially its features like, large eyes, nocturnal habits and long fingers.
Formal Scientific Recognition
Pierre Sonnerat, a French naturalist formally recognized the Aye-Aye as one of the animals in the scientific community.
The French naturalist in 1782, first explored Madagascar and introduced the Aye-Aye to the Western world. His research was accepted with skepticism and the Aye-Aye’s existence is still being disputed.
Investigations and Confirmations
50 years later, an English explorer Alfred Grandidier revisited the study of an Aye-Aye to have a comprehensive observation of its characteristics.
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In the early 20th century, the Aye-Aye became widely known, thanks to some notable primatologists like George Shaw and Gerrit Smith Miller.
Through their careful investigations, the Aye-Aye was set on the primate order permanently.
Challenges and Conservation
Although, the discovery of the Aye-Aye brought a lot of attention to it, it also began to have survival threats.
Because of the superstitious belief surrounding the Aye-Aye, it’s began to lose its natural habitat and had a threat of going into extinction.
Scientific Advancements
There are several technological developments like DNA analysis and ecological studies carried out by scientists to understand the Aye-Aye deeply.
These investigations provide an additional understanding into the ecosystem of Madagascar.