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

The systematic position of the extinct Pachylemur insignis has been co ntroversial: some authors considered Pachylemur as a lemur, whereas ot hers viewed it closer to Varecia. Its classification in the genus Lemu r or Varecia thus remained an open question. DNA extraction from subfo ssil bones, using a non-destructive method, allowed us to obtain enoug h material to make a Southern blot. The hybridization of Pachylemur wi th Eulemur fulvus, Lemur catta, and Varecia variegata highly repeated DNA probes showed that only the Varecia probe gave a positive signal o n hybridization on the Pachylemur blot. These results indicate that Pa chylemur must be considered closer to the genus Varecia than to Eulemu r and Lemur.