A fossil lemur from the Oligocene of Pakistan

In the absence of a comprehensive fossil record, the origin and early evolu tion of Malagasy lemurs have been subject to much uncertainty. We report he re the discovery of a strepsirrhine fossil with strong cheirogaleid lemur a ffinities, Bugtilemur mathesoni gen. et sp. nov., from early Oligocene depo sits of the Bugti Hills (Balochistan, Pakistan). Bugtilemur represents the earliest record of Lemuriformes, which hence appear to. have already divers ified outside of Madagascar at least 30 million years ago. This fossil clea rly enhances the critical role of the Indian subcontinent in the early dive rsification of lemurs and constrains paleobiogeographic models of strepsirr hine lemur evolution.