Question: In which period did the lemur species most closely related to the ruffed lemurs of genus Varecia go extinct ?

text: List of lemur species
Extinct species
Main article : Subfossil lemur All known extinct lemurs from Madagascar are known from recent , subfossil remains . [ 260 ] Conditions for fossilization were not ideal on the island , so little is known about ancestral lemur populations . All known extinct lemurs are thought to have died out after the arrival of humans .
Lemurs are strepsirrhine primates, all species of which are endemic to Madagascar. They include the smallest primate in the world, Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, which weighs 30 grams (1.1 oz), and range up to the size of the indri, which can weigh as much as 9.5 kilograms (21 lb). However, recently extinct species grew much larger. As of 2010, five families, 15 genera, and 101 species and subspecies of lemur were formally recognized. From 2000 through 2008, 39 new species were described and nine other taxa resurrected. By 2014, the number of species and subspecies recognized had increased to 113; of these, the IUCN classified 24 as Critically Endangered, 49 as Endangered, 20 as Vulnerable, three as Near Threatened, three as Least Concern and four as Data Deficient; two were yet to be evaluated. The number of lemur species is likely to continue growing in the coming years, as field studies, cytogenetic and molecular genetic research continues. There is not complete agreement over the latest revisions to lemur taxonomy, with some experts preferring an estimated 50 lemur species. The debates are likely to continue, as some scholars label the explosive growth of species numbers as taxonomic inflation. In many cases, classifications will ultimately depend upon which species concept is used. In the case of the lemurs of Madagascar, which have suffered extensively from deforestation and habitat fragmentation, nearly 25% of all species are either Endangered or Critically Endangered, most have yet to be extensively studied, and nearly all populations are in decline. For these reasons, taxonomists and conservationists favor splitting them into separate species to develop an effective strategy for the conservation of the full range of lemur diversity.
Scientific name Common name Family Estimated size Extinction date
Archaeoindris fontoynonti Sloth lemurs Palaeopropithecidae 160-200 kg ( 350-440 lb ) 350 BCE
Archaeolemur edwardsi Monkey lemurs ( or baboon lemurs ) Archaeolemuridae 15-25 kg ( 33-55 lb ) 1047-1280 CE
Archaeolemur majori Monkey lemurs ( or baboon lemurs ) Archaeolemuridae 15-25 kg ( 33-55 lb ) 1047-1280 CE
Babakotia radofilai Sloth lemurs Palaeopropithecidae 16-20 kg ( 35-44 lb ) 3050 BCE
Daubentonia robusta Giant aye-aye Daubentoniidae 14 kg ( 31 lb ) 891-1027 CE
Hadropithecus stenognathus Monkey lemurs ( or baboon lemurs ) Archaeolemuridae 27-35 kg ( 60-77 lb ) 444-772 CE
Megaladapis edwardsi Koala lemurs Megaladapidae 40-80 kg ( 88-176 lb ) 1280-1420 CE
Megaladapis grandidieri Koala lemurs Megaladapidae 40-80 kg ( 88-176 lb ) 1280-1420 CE
Megaladapis madagascariensis Koala lemurs Megaladapidae 40-80 kg ( 88-176 lb ) 1280-1420 CE
Mesopropithecus dolichobrachion Sloth lemurs Palaeopropithecidae 10-14 kg ( 22-31 lb ) 245-429 CE
Mesopropithecus globiceps Sloth lemurs Palaeopropithecidae 10-14 kg ( 22-31 lb ) 245-429 CE
Mesopropithecus pithecoides Sloth lemurs Palaeopropithecidae 10-14 kg ( 22-31 lb ) 245-429 CE
Pachylemur insignis Pachylemur Lemuridae 11.5 kg ( 25 lb ) 680-960 BCE
Pachylemur jullyi Pachylemur Lemuridae 13 kg ( 29 lb ) Holocene
Palaeopropithecus ingens Sloth lemurs Palaeopropithecidae 25-50 kg ( 55-110 lb ) 1300-1620 CE
Palaeopropithecus kelyus Sloth lemurs Palaeopropithecidae 35 kg ( 77 lb ) Late Quaternary
Palaeopropithecus maximus Sloth lemurs Palaeopropithecidae 25-50 kg ( 55-110 lb ) 1300-1620 CE