MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICS OF AN EXTINCT LEMUR - PACHYLEMUR INSIGNIS

The systematic position of the extinct Pachylemur insignis has been controversial: some authors considered Pachylemur as a lemur, whereas others viewed it closer to Varecia. Its classification in the genus Lemur or Varecia thus remained an open question. DNA extraction from subfossil bones, using a non-destructive method, allowed us to obtain enough material to make a Southern blot. The hybridization of Pachylemur with Eulemur fulvus, Lemur catta, and Varecia variegata highly repeated DNA probes showed that only the Varecia probe gave a positive signal on hybridization on the Pachylemur blot. These results indicate that Pachylemur must be considered closer to the genus Varecia than to Eulemur and Lemur.