Where do lemurs live? You can help support wildmadagascar.org by using this link to buy from Amazon.com. Beautifully illustrated with full color photographs throughout, Madagascar Wildlife is a celebration of the unique fauna of a remarkable island and the perfect accompaniment to Bradt's popular general travel guide, Madagascar . This portable guide offers a full survey of all Madagascar's mammals, both endemic and introduced, including many newly identified species. With vivid color photographs, line illustrations, and maps, Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide is an essential book for any visitor. GEAR Unless otherwise noted, all content and images are the property of Rhett Butler, content copyright 2004-2012. All rights reserved. Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Ring-Tailed Lemur Pictures, Ring-Tailed Lemur Facts - National Geographic Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man Please add a "relative" entry to your dictionary. Lemurs are primates found only on the African island of Madagascar and some tiny neighboring islands. Because of its geographic isolation, Madagascar is home to many amazing animals found nowhere else on Earth.

Lemurs may have floated there eons ago on "rafts" of vegetation and evolved in isolation over countless centuries. Ring-tailed lemurs are unmistakable because of their long, vividly striped, black-and-white tail. They are familiar residents of many zoos. Lemurs use their hands and feet to move nimbly through the trees, but cannot grip with their tails as some of their primate cousins do. Ring-tailed lemurs also spend a lot of time on the ground, which is unusual among lemur species. They forage for fruit, which makes up the greater part of their diet, but also eat leaves, flowers, tree bark, and sap. Ring-tailed lemurs have powerful scent glands and use their unique odor as a communication tool and even as a kind of weapon. Lemurs mark their territory by scent, serving notice of their presence to all who can smell. During mating season, male lemurs battle for dominance by trying to outstink each other. They cover their long tails with smelly secretions and wave them in the air to determine which animal is more powerful. Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups known as troops.

These groups may include 6 to 30 animals, but average about 17. Both sexes live in troops, but a dominant female presides over all. Ring-tailed lemurs are endangered, largely because the sparse, dry forests they love are quickly vanishing. Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Island of Lemurs: Madagascar ( 2014 ) G | Watch Now From $3.99 (SD) on Amazon Video A documentary that follows Dr. Patricia C. Wright's mission to help lemurs, the highly evolved creatures who arrived on Madagascar millions of years ago as castaways but are now highly endangered.

Director: a list of 24 titles created 20 Dec 2013 a list of 48 titles created 04 Apr 2014 a list of 22 titles created 26 May 2014 a list of 30 titles created 24 Sep 2015 a list of 23 titles created 7 months ago Title: Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014) 7/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. A documentary that delves into the realm of flowers and their pollinators. Director: Louie Schwartzberg The fictional story of an ex-football star, Johnny Dunn, who moves far from the spotlight after a family tragedy to a small, desert town he owns called Jake's Corner. This dramatic comedy ... See full summary » Director: Jeff Santo Three best friends spy on their families, sneak into each other's house, and organize elaborate pranks. Director: Robert Burke Having lost her mother, Haruka is now a 16 year old girl and feels neglected by her father.

She escapes to her grandmother's house and discovers a fox-like creature who steals her keys. She... See full summary » Director: Shinsuke Sato Professor Leaf, an absent-minded poet with a prejudice against the sciences, is forced to face the fact that his son is a math prodigy with little artistic talent of his own. Director: Henry Koster Edit Storyline Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman narrates Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, the incredible true story of nature's greatest explorers - lemurs. Captured with IMAX 3D cameras, the film takes audiences on a spectacular journey to the remote and wondrous world of Madagascar. Lemurs arrived in Madagascar as castaways millions of years ago and evolved into hundreds of diverse species but are now highly endangered. Join trailblazing scientist Patricia Wright on her lifelong mission to help these strange and adorable creatures survive in the modern world. Directed by David Douglas and written and produced by Drew Fellman, Island of Lemurs: Madagascar is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Entertainment. Written by Anonymous A real place you could never imagine. Strange creatures you will never forget.

Genres: 5 September 2014 (UK) See more » Also Known As: A makik szigete: Madagaszkár See more » Filming Locations: $188,307 (USA) (4 April 2014) Gross: (Somewhere in the Cosmos) – See all my reviews It is a documentary short with a big message. Like an episode of David Attenborough's nature documentary series. I have never seen a live lemur nor I know their character like I do for other animals. So this film was a learning experience for me and I ask you to do the same, if you have zero knowledge about these wonderful creatures. I enjoyed it, but still think they did not use the concept properly. Lacks the depth, I mean going details in scientific research. They have given, but only limited. They have started it by saying how ancient they are and who the reason for the existence of human today. How they found their perfect home in an uninhabited island millions of years ago. Very informative. It was narrated by the actor Morgan Freeman.

After the brief introduction, the rest of the film focused to tell an American primatologist's effort to study these animals and educate the local people how precious they are. The pride of Madagascar. I really surprised to learn lots of things, especially about their varieties. But specifying their evolution would have been even better. Since it was a short film, there were restrictions for many things. "Lemurs are Madagascar's living treasure." Once again a film to point out the human's destruction of mother nature. Those who rely on them completely are suffering. Lemurs are the main animal in the Madagascar, but since the humans present from the last two millennia, their numbers are going down. Now Madagascar's the only and final frontier for them. Whatever happened in the past, its time in this third millennium to bring the life back of the old world. Surely every one of us has a small offering that helps to restore it, only we've to commit it right away. So this is a rare documentary. They might have already made a better documentary about the lemurs than this one, but I have never seen them. Since I am a film fanatic, this film came to my notice, but did not take it seriously until now.

Mainly because nothing from the poster interested me. I thought it was one of those failed documentary films, with usually tried to impress with the technical aspect like predominated with the digital 3D visuals. I realised now how wrong I was. The poster looks very creepy. I don't think the little kids would want to watch it if they see the film poster first. I thought it was an animation, about the ancient creatures like they do for the dinosaurs. The black lemur with the big blue eyes on the poster looked like an animated character, but he's real. So watch it to educate yourself, particularly if you are a nature and animal lover. Recommended! 7/10 0 of 0 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Why do lemurs live only in Madagascar? | HowStuffWorks Why do lemurs live only in Madagascar? Keren Su/ Getty Images ­The island of Madagascar , a country located about 250 miles (402 kilometers) off the coast of southeast Africa , is one of the ­most geograph­ically diverse places on the planet.

Its terrain varies from beautiful coastal beaches and stretches of serene grassland to raging rivers winding through mountainous regions and dry expanses ­of desert. The island has a tropical climate with a rainy season lasting from December to April and a dry season lasting from May to November. Many distinct animal and plant species call this tropical paradise home. In fact, Madagascar is also home to some of the most unique and endangered plants and animals in the world. The lemur is one of these creatures. Lemurs are primates, a group that includes monkeys , apes and humans. They're nocturnal, insectivorous creatures (meaning they feed on insects ) with small bodies, long noses and large eyes. Eighty-eight species of lemurs exist today, all of which are native to Madagascar [source: Smithsonian National Zoo ]. In fact, the reason lemurs have been able to thrive in Madagascar is because no other primates inhabit the island. But how exactly are lemurs different from other primates? Primate Pals Primate Quiz Basically, primates can be broken down into two suborders: anthropoids and prosimians. Monkeys, apes and humans are anthropoids; lemurs are prosimians.

Like other primates, prosimians rely on their moist noises and strong senses of smell to find food and identify individuals in their social group. They also groom themselves and others in their group. But while anthropoids use their fingers to groom, lemurs use their teeth as a comb. Anthropoids are omniv­ores -- they usually don't actively hunt and rely mostly on vegetation and insects as food sources. Prosimians like lemurs are insectivorous and herbivorous creatures. Also, prosimian society is female-dominated. In this girl-power-driven suborder, females get the best food, defend the group and choose their own mates. Prosimians evolved before anthropoids. The first prosimian fossil dates back 55 million years ago. The first monkey fossil dates back 45 million years ago, and the first ape, 35 million years ago. Before the anthropoids entered the scene, prosimians were pretty prevalent; fossils have been found all around the world, including in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. But when the larger, more dominant, adaptive and intelligent anthropoids came into the picture, prosimians like lemurs were out-hunted.

In the race against other primates for food, they lost. And, they began to die out all over the world. They disappeared from almost everywhere -- everywhere except Madagascar. 1 8 Things You Need to Know About Lemurs! | Mental Floss 8 Things You Need to Know About Lemurs! Image credit: Like us on Facebook Lemurs are exceptionally strange creatures, with their huge, reflective eyes, long tails and somewhat human-like hands. While you may be most familiar with the ring-tailed lemur—they're the most common at zoos—there are a whole lot of the buggers you've probably never even seen before. Here are a few facts you'll definitely want to know about them. 1. They Come in Lots of Flavors There are over fifty species and around one hundred subspecies of lemurs and the diversity of these animals is amazing. Some are nocturnal, some are diurnal.

Some are antisocial, like the Aye aye, andÂ others are highly social like the ring-tailed lemur "“who are so social they enjoy huddling together and forming what is known as a "lemur ball." Lemur sizes also vary between the one ounce pygmy mouse lemur and the 22 pound indri. There were even some larger species of lemurs weighing up to 530 pounds, but these became extinct after humans began settling on the island as early as 300 BC. Today, most lemurs prefer to stay off the ground. The exception is the ring-tailed lemur, which spends a lot of time on the ground sunning itself. When on the ground, some lemurs prefer to hop on their back legs and others walk on all four feet. Interestingly, they can easily create hybrid lemurs and many species have crossbred while living in captivity. 2. They Love Their Mothers If you liked the character of King Julien from Madagascar, you may be disappointed to learn that he's not completelyÂ realistic "“and not because of his wacky character design or erratic behavior. Lemur societies are almost all matriarchal.

This isn't only rare amongst primates, but among mammals in general. The only other mammal to consistently demonstrate female dominance is the hyena. The matriarchal society has left scientists scratching their heads. Because lemurs of both sexes are about the same size, they should be equally capable of fighting. So, why they are so strongly dominated by females? A recent theory introduced by Amy Dunham reasoned that the dominance comes down to the fact that females need more resources in order to birth and raise babies, and thus, they are willing to fight harder to get food and resources. Because fighting can be costly to the males, they may see it as beneficial to lie back and let the females take more of the resources. 3. They Occasionally Get Into "Stink Fights" Lemurs, particularly the ring-tailed lemur, are big on talking. The ring-tailed lemur is the most vocal primate and uses its vocalizations to raise alarm. But screeching is by no means the only way these animals communicate. They also use their scent glands on their feet and butts to leave odors on areas they have been.

Male ring-tailed lemurs even get in "stink fights" by rubbing their tails in their own scents and then shaking it at their opponent. The large, bushy tails of the lemurs can also be used for waving at one another from a long distance. 4. They Are NOT Evil Aye ayes are some of the most unique species of lemurs. They're often compared to woodpeckers for their ability to penetrate wood in order to extract delicious bugs within "“only rather than using a beak, these guys use their long middle finger to pull out insects after gnawing a hole in the bark. Unfortunately, their distinctiveness has caused them quite a bit of trouble with suspicious natives. A large number of the Malagasy people believe they are an evil omen and a symbol of death. The belief is that when the Aye aye points its long middle finger at someone they've been marked for death. As a result, it is actively hunted (which may contribute to its extinction).

To make matters worse, the Aye aye seems to have very little fear of humans and has been known to walk right through villages "“suspicious villagers often say this means a villager will die unless the animal is murdered on the spot.Â The reality is that the Aye aye are little more than strange, antisocial creatures. While they aren't afraid of humans, they also won't do harm to them. They just want what any antisocial primate wants "“to be left alone. 5. They're Really, Really Smart Lemurs are one of the more overlooked groups of primates. Humans tend to focus on apes and monkeys, but lemurs not only share our trait of opposable thumbs, they're also intelligent. Lemurs have the ability to learn patterns, and they even have object discrimination skills. They're also capable of learning tasks that are often too complex for apes and monkeys, like organizing sequences from memory and performing simple arithmetic. They can also be trained to use tools. 6. They Like to Travel by Raft Lemurs only live on the African island of Madagascar. But how did they get there? Research shows the animals did not arrive on the island until after it broke off from the African continent.

Scientists believe they rafted across the ocean on large clumps of vegetation. Evidence shows the African ancestors of lemurs were largely wiped out due to competition with other primates like monkeys and apes, however the Madagascar locals had none of this competition and thrived as a result. They did so well they were able to evolve into a plethora of different species. 7. You May Recognize Me From Such Fine Shows As"¦ Lemurs were largely underappreciated in pop culture until recently. PBS has a kid's show called Zoboomafoo based around a main lemur character of the same name. Lemur Street, known as Lemur Kingdom in the states, was a twenty episode serious based on two groups of ring-tailed lemurs in Madagascar "“it was to Meerkat Manor what Wife Swap was to Trading Spouses: different creatures, same concept. Even famed author William Burroughs took a shot at popularizing lemurs with his 1991 novella Ghost of Chance, where the main character discovers a utopia based around the protection of Madagascar land and the lemurs. And of course, there's the movie Madagascar, that certainly boosted their PR as well. 8.

They Need Help Most lemurs are either endangered or threatened wildlife, and many species of lemurs have already gone extinct. This isn't just bad news for the lemurs, but also for everyone and everything relying on the natural Madagascar ecology. Lemurs are crucial to the survival of the island's flora and fauna because they help disperse seeds from all of the variety of fruits they eat. Without the work of the lemurs, the forests would die. Unfortunately, the Malagasy people have increasingly taken to slash-and-burn farming in an effort to earn money. This not only puts lemurs in danger due to forest destruction, but it also makes them more likely to attempt to steal from farms (and then get killed in the process). While it's illegal to kill lemurs, enforcement of this law is practically impossible in a country as poor as Madagascar and the animals are in serious harm of complete eradication unless something drastic is done.

Island of Lemurs: Madagascar Movie 2014 Official Site – Starring Morgan Freeman SYNOPSIS PRODUCTION NOTES FILMMAKERS MEET THE LEMURS Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) Ring-tailed lemurs are the most intensely studied of all the lemurs: they are also the most easily recognizable lemur and the most common in captivity. They are also the most terrestrial of all the lemurs. Male ring-tails are equipped with scent glands on their wrists which are used in “stink fighting” with a rival male. Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus medius) Dwarf lemurs forage in solitude at night. During the day they congregate, in packs of up to five to a tree hole, while they sleep. Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs survive long periods of food shortage by storing fat in their tails! Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) The Sifaka of Madagascar are distinguished from other lemurs by their mode of locomotion: these animals maintain a distinctly vertical posture and leap through the trees using just the strength of their back legs.

Their spectacular method of locomotion can easily propel them distances of over 20 feet from tree to tree. On the ground, the animals cross treeless areas just as gracefully, by an elegant bipedal sideways hopping. Greater Bamboo Lemur (Prolemur simus) The Greater Bamboo Lemur is the largest species of bamboo lemur. This species is cathemeral, active during the day and night throughout the year. The females of this species do not “park” their infants while foraging, unlike other Bamboo lemur species. Indri (Indri indri) The Indri is the largest of the lemurs alive today. They are easily located and identified by its eerie wailing song. Every day the Indri descends to the ground to eat soil, which may help it detoxify from the seeds it has eaten. Gray Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus) In Madagascar, gray mouse lemurs are sometimes sighted in gardens and roadside brush. They were thought to be the smallest living primate until recently disproven when the pygmy mouse lemur (Microcebus myoxinus), thought to be extinct, was re-discovered.

The gray mouse lemur is one of the most widespread, abundant, and adaptable lemur species – and some actually have a reddish pelage color! Verreaux’s Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) The Verreaux’s Sifaka does not need to drink water and can survive severe drought by eating the bark and cambium of the spiny, cactus-like plants, Operculicarya decaryi. Black and White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata variegate) Populations of wild ruffed lemurs are critically endangered in Madagascar, and yet the animals thrive in captivity, making this species an ideal candidate for re-introduction to the wild, assuming protected habitat is available. DAVID DOUGLAS (Director/Cinematographer) has helmed and photographed large format documentary benchmarks, including the Oscar®-nominated “Fires of Kuwait,” which also received the GSTA Maximum Image Award for Best Classic IMAX film; critically acclaimed “Survival Island”; as well as the first IMAX concert feature, “Rolling Stones: At the MAX,” which captures the world’s greatest rock and roll band on their massive Steel Wheels tour and earned the GSTA Maximum Image Award.

He also wrote, directed and photographed “Wolves” for the National Wildlife Federation and “Straight Up: Helicopters in Action,” which premiered at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Douglas’ first high school multiple-image documentary led to employment at Multiscreen Corp. by the inventors of the IMAX system/fathers of the large format film industry, Robert Kerr, Bill Shaw, Roman Kroitor and Graeme Ferguson.

He later spent 18 months training dozens of astronauts to be filmmakers on Ferguson’s IMAX Space Team, supporting their orbital efforts on 14 shuttle flights from mission control, as well as shooting the terrestrial images for the original IMAX space series, “The Dream is Alive,” “Blue Planet,” “Destiny in Space” and “Mission to Mir.” Constantly moving between directing and cinematography, Douglas has photographed over thirty films for IMAX Corporation and other clients, including most recently, the IMAX documentaries “Born To Be Wild” and “All Access: Front Row, Backstage, Live!,” and provided additional photography on the IMAX space documentaries “Space Station 3D,” and “Hubble 3D.” In 2002, he was honored with the Kodak Vision award, and in 2010 received the IMAX Hall of Fame Award. DREW FELLMAN (Writer/Producer) previously collaborated with Douglas on the critically acclaimed IMAX documentary “Born To Be Wild,” which he also wrote and produced. The film received the National Board of Review’s Top Five Documentaries Award in 2011 and also won the Genesis Award that year for best feature documentary.

He began his relationship with IMAX working as part of Howard Hall’s diving team on the IMAX films “Under the Sea 3D” and “Hubble 3D.” Fellman has also worked as a journalist, screenwriter, and photographer. A graduate of UC Berkeley, Fellman has a Masters from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. DIANE ROBERTS(Co-Producer) Emerged from a background of innovative commercial television and award-winning feature film production in the UK, Europe, Africa and Canada. Roberts has been involved in producing many IMAX films, collaborating numerous times with Chris Parsons OBE and Sir David Attenborough, two men who defined excellence in natural history documentaries, including “The Secret of Life on Earth,” shot in 57 locations across the world, “Cities of the Wild” and “Survival Island,” directed by David Douglas and shot in the South Atlantic.

Roberts also produced Douglas’ Academy Award® nominated “Fires of Kuwait” and “Rolling Stones at the Max.” Her other collaborations with Douglas directing include “Wolves” and "Straight Up - Helicopters in Action.” Most recently, Roberts produced “Born To Be Wild,” shot by Douglas in Borneo, with Drew Fellman writing/producing. Among her other credits are the IMAX films “Mission to Mir,” “All Access" and “Journey to Mecca,” which brought specially trained IMAX camera units into the heart of the Holy Kabbah. BETH SPIEGEL (Editor) has edited several shows which have won numerous awards ranging from the Genesis Award to a shared Emmy Award in the craft of editing for National Geographic’s (NGO) “The Dragons of Galapagos.” She often travels for months at a time to live and edit in various places around the world. Spiegel previously collaborated with David Douglas and Drew Fellman on the IMAX documentary “Born To Be Wild,” which was shot in Borneo, and was honored by the National Board of Review.

In 2010, Spiegel spent six months in South Africa editing NGO’s “Swamp Troop,” which was nominated for a National News and Informational Emmy. Spiegel also headed an editing team on NGO and Paramount/Vantage’s ambitious 2007 feature documentary “Arctic Tale,” narrated by Queen Latifah, which was shot over the course of a decade in myriad formats. Spiegel’s long association with NGO includes editing episodes of critically acclaimed series “National Geographic Explorer” and “Strange Days on Earth.” In addition, she has edited episodes of “Nature,” A&E’s “Biography,” and PBS’ “The Living Edens,” “Intimate Strangers” and, most currently, “Craft in America.” A fine artist, Spiegel’s exhibits include paintings at the Museum of Tolerance. Her children’s book illustrations include the critically acclaimed First Grade Stinks.

HANITRARIVO (Hanitra) RASOANAIVO (Songs) is a Malagasy native, known for her work with Madagascar’s band Tarika, topping World Music charts and voted by Time Magazine as one of the ten best bands in the world on a list that also included, U2, Radiohead, Portishead, Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers and Cuba's Orishas. Tarika’s thought-provoking 1994 album “Bibiango” was followed by the socially conscious-themed “Son Egal” in 1997, which received rave reviews in Europe and the USA, reaching the top of the European World Music Charts and holding the number one spot on the CMJ World Music Chart in the USA for 8 weeks. The album was nominated for the Kora All- African Music Awards and won the 1998 AFIM Indie Award for Contemporary World Music Album in the USA. 2001’s “Soul Makassar,” released on Hanitra's own UK-based independent label Sakay (Rogue Productions) in January 2001, explores the links between Madagascar and ancestral Indonesia.

With 12 albums and three films, including a BBC documentary film on her life as a female artist entitled “Mad Rhythm of Madagascar,” Hanitra has re-created her band, now called: Tarika Bé featuring the best drummer and guitarists of the capital of Madagascar and a multi-instrumentalist who plays all the traditional instruments. Tarika Bé has already toured for different prestigious festivals in the Indian Ocean, Africa and Europe, including the “Festival de Jazz de Montreux” in Switzerland. In 2011, she put out her first DVD, “Live in Lugano.” Hanitra's music is a unique, modern blend from the roots music of the different regions of Madagascar, strongly featuring vocal harmonies and local instruments like the marovany, valiha, kabosy, jejy, voatavo and lots of local percussion among the more conventional guitars and electric bass. Tarika's albums have all been notable for songs which combine stories and hard- hitting political subject matter with upbeat, accessible, danceable music. Hanitra designs her own stage costumes, jewelry, bags, and shoes. She writes and composes all her songs and on stage, she sings, dances and plays traditional percussions from her homeland.

Outside her main work with Tarika Bé, Hanitra performs as a comedian and toured all over the Indian Ocean, France and Norway with different international theatre groups. She is also very active in helping other women in Arts and runs workshops, shows and trains young women in all aspects of their talents. She also participated in the “Women Of Africa” collaboration with Mali’s Oumou Sangare, Cameroun’s Sally Nyolo and South Africa’s Sibongile Khumalo, creating joint work for their sell-out 1998 tour. In 2002, she built the first Malagasy Arts Centre in Madagascar. In 2011, she launched an effort for concerned artists of all disciplines to use their talents to celebrate nature, biodiversity and to spread messages for the protection of the environment. Her main aim is to focus on how artists and artisans from her native country can become self- sufficient and generate incomes from their talents.

MARK MOTHERSBAUGH (Composer) previously collaborated with Drew Fellman and David Douglas on the IMAX documentary “Born To Be Wild.” He has written the music for more than 70 film and television projects, including the recent box office hits “The LEGO® Movie,” “Hotel Transylvania,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and its sequel, “21 Jump Street”, and the upcoming “22 Jump Street.” Mothersbaugh first came to prominence in the music world as lead singer and keyboard player of the progressive new wave/rock band DEVO, that released a series of highly eclectic and satirical albums, including “Are We Not Men?” and “Freedom of Choice.” In the mid-1980s, Mothersbaugh began to write music for commercials and received a Clio Award for his work.

He went on to compose music for numerous television projects, including the memorable theme song and underscore for “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.” That led to a long run of writing music for the popular children’s series“Rugrats”and the hugely successful “The Rugrats Movie.” His more recent television credits include HBO’s “Enlightened” and Showtime’s “House of Lies.” In 1996, he met Wes Anderson and scored the filmmaker’s critically acclaimed “Bottle Rocket.” He also wrote the music for Anderson’s “Rushmore,” starring Bill Murray, and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” starring Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston and Owen Wilson. His score for “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” is one of Mothersbaugh’s most memorable, to date. His additional film credits include “Last Vegas,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked”; Catherine Hardwicke’s “Lords of Dogtown” and “Thirteen”; Joe and Anthony Russo’s “Welcome to Collinwood,” starring George Clooney; and “Happy Gilmore,” starring Adam Sandler.

Mothersbaugh’s record and song production credits include work with such artists as Vampire Weekend, Tegan and Sara, David Bowie, Cypress Hill, David Byrne, Beck, Iggy Pop, B-52s, Jacob Dylan, Cindy Lauper and A Tribe Called Quest. Further extending Mothersbaugh’s musical palate; he has also scored numerous video games, including “The Sims” and “Boom Blox.” The recipient of BMI’s distinguished Richard Kirk Lifetime Achievement Award, Mothersbaugh continues to perform with DEVO, which has had a resurgence in recent years, playing concerts across the country, including New York’s Central Park and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The Ohio native studied at Kent State University. A world-renowned artist, his drawings and paintings have been shown in galleries around the world. Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby,” “Dolphin Tale”) narrates the IMAX® 3D documentary “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar,” the incredible true story of nature’s greatest explorers—lemurs.

The film reunites Freeman with Drew Fellman, who also wrote and produced the 2011 IMAX 3D documentary “Born to Be Wild 3D,” and director/cinematographer David Douglas, who was the director of photography on that film. Captured with IMAX 3D cameras, the film takes audiences on a spectacular journey to the remote and wondrous world of Madagascar, where lemurs arrived millions of years ago as castaways. They’ve since evolved into hundreds of diverse species, but are now highly endangered. “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” highlights the tireless efforts of trailblazing scientist Dr. Patricia C. Wright and her lifelong mission to help these strange and adorable creatures survive in the modern world. Joining Douglas once again behind the scenes are editor Beth Spiegel, co-producer Diane Roberts, and composer Mark Mothersbaugh. Songs are by Hanitrarivo Rasoanaivo & Tarika. TITLE Island of Lemurs: Madagascar IMAX 3D (2014) | Fandango It has a conservation angle, and educational. Seeing in IMAX was cool.... Very Interesting By sa2009 Very interesting and educational.

Was a bit too short would love to see how the matchmaking turns out but also wished it would have elaborated more on how the original drifting family survived while... Island of lemurs: Madagascar We loved this movie. My kids loved the way lemurs talked to each other.... Fantastic By PSchwinn I've seen this movie twice. Once at Science Museum and once in 3D at theatre. It is most enjoyable!... Short but still kinda perfect By girlassassin See it in 3-D if at all possible. Some of the best of the technology I've experienced. Also, my 7 year-old was riveted.... Island of Lemurs: Madagascar By cdaniels1234 This was an absolutely wonderful movie. I took my 7 year old and 4 year old grandchildren and they thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the first time the 4 year old had been to an IMAX movie. The movie... Entertaining but short... By Malekyte My kids enjoyed it, but for $30 for 1 adult 2 children... could have been longer. Maybe a better choice in music... but you cant go wrong with Morgan Freeman narrating lol...

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES By bwwahlig I thought I knew a lot about Lemurs until I saw this movie. There are so many different species I had never heard of or seen, along with learning about how they came to be on the Island of... Neat but too short By swurman The video was amazing to see but at a run time of only 40 minutes, it was way too short. Tickets are too expensive for something this short. I would up love to have seen and learned more about the... This is a good movie By QQQ50 Where did all of Madagascar's species come from? Where did all of Madagascar's species come from? October 2009 Clockwise from the top: A chameleon, an aye aye, a fossa and a baobab. All are native to Madagascar. In celebration of the Year of Science's October theme, the geosciences and planet Earth, this month's story focuses on how geography and geology have shaped the evolution of life in one of Earth's most unique places.

Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world, sits in the Indian Ocean several hundred kilometers off Africa's southeastern coast and provides a home to a remarkable variety of plant and animal species , including the aye aye, fossa, chameleon, and baobab tree. Madagascar has made the news lately because of a military-backed coup, which has threatened conservation efforts. Criminal groups have taken advantage of the political turmoil to illegally log rare trees in Madagascar's dwindling forests, and the future of the former president's plans to massively expand the island's conservation areas now seem uncertain. Where's the evolution? Conservationists are concerned about Madagascar because of the uniqueness of its biota, most of which is endemic  i.e., found nowhere else on Earth. Why is Madagascar home to so many unique plants and animals? Because the island's geography, geology, and climate have provided opportunities for species to evolve and diversify in isolation. Its species are a mix of those that have been living and evolving there for many tens of millions of years and those that arrived more recently and subsequently diversified. Understanding where all of Madagascar's species came from (i.e., its biogeography ) requires understanding Madagascar's own geologic history.

One hundred and seventy million years ago, Madagascar was landlocked in the middle of the supercontinent Gondwana, sandwiched between land that would eventually become South America and Africa and land that would eventually become India, Australia, and Antarctica. Through movements of the Earth's crust, Madagascar, along with India, first split from Africa and South America and then from Australia and Antarctica, and started heading north. India eventually smashed into Asia  forming the Himalayas in the process  but Madagascar broke away from India and was marooned in the Indian Ocean. Madagascar has been on its own for the past 88 million years. Some of Madagascar's present species are there because they "rode there" on the continents and were left on the island when it separated from India. Others arrived on the island after its split, immigrating from other places. In biogeography, these two scenarios are known as vicariance and dispersal . To understand the difference, imagine a species living on a continent, which is then split into two through tectonic action. When the continent splits, the two halves of the population are separated, and over many generations, they evolve into separate species. These species' distribution is the result of vicariance.

Many different processes can cause vicariance  plate tectonics, the rise of mountain ranges, a shift in the course of a river, or just climate change that causes an unfavorable habitat to develop that ends up splitting a species' range into two. Dispersal, on the other hand, occurs when a species spreads or immigrates from one area to another. If part of a population moves to a new area, the two subpopulations may eventually evolve into separate species. One key line of evidence for investigating biogeography is phylogenetics. We can use evidence gathered from living and fossil organisms to reconstruct their phylogeny  or evolutionary relationships. These phylogenies, combined with an understanding of the geologic history of a particular region, can help us figure out which lineages are where they are because of vicariance and which are there because of dispersal. For an example, examine the diagram below. One land mass splits sequentially into three separate islands, and then a mountain range rises on one of these islands, effectively splitting it.

If a group of organisms was widespread on the original land mass and was sequentially split along with the geologic changes, we'd expect the sequence of splits in the phylogeny to match the sequence of splits in the geography (stages 1-4 in the diagram). Now imagine that additional tectonic action causes one more split. After that split, some members of species C disperse to the new island, and they evolve into a separate species (stage 5 in the diagram). The relationships of species A-D match the geographic splits, but species E's relationships do not. It is most closely related to C, but it lives on an island that split off from a distant land mass. This suggests that E must have arrived at its present location by dispersal. An elephant bird skeleton and egg. So what about Madagascar? Do the phylogenies of Madagascar natives and their close relatives suggest that vicariance or dispersal has been at work? There are certainly some examples of vicariance. For example, the elephant bird  a ten foot tall relative of the ostrich that went extinct several hundred years ago  was endemic to Madagascar.

Phylogenetic, genetic, and fossil evidence all suggest that the elephant bird, along with the ostrich, arrived on Madagascar and India when these land masses were still connected to Australia and Antarctica via a land bridge. When India and Madagascar split, the elephant bird wound up surviving on Madagascar, while the ostrich was carried north with India (and was eventually introduced to Eurasia when India collided with this continent). The presence of the elephant bird on Madagascar can be chalked up to vicariance; it was living on Madagascar land already, when Madagascar broke off of India. However, most of the species on Madagascar today seem to be descended from individuals that dispersed there from Africa long after Madagascar was established as a separate island. For example, phylogenetic, genetic, and anatomical evidence all suggest that lemurs split from other primates on Africa around 62 million years ago and that the ancestral lemur lineage had dispersed to Madagascar by around 54 million years ago. Once on the island, the lemur lineage diversified. Now there are at least 50 species of lemur, all endemic to Madagascar. The evolutionary and biogeographic processes experienced by the lemurs are not unusual.

Madagascar is home to many groups of endemic organisms with close within-group relationships. The simplest  or most parsimonious  explanation for this pattern is that, like the lemurs, the groups first arrived on the island by dispersal as a single lineage and then rapidly diversified. This diversification was likely spurred on by other geologic and climactic characteristics of Madagascar. The east coast of the island is lined with a mountain range  and this causes different parts of the island to get drastically different amounts of rain. Hence, the island is made of many different habitat types  from deserts to rainforests  that have shifted and changed over the past 88 million years. This likely provided many opportunities for subpopulations to become isolated and evolve traits for specializing in different niches. And that likely encouraged lineages to diversify. Today, Madagascar is one of the most diverse places on Earth. Understanding where that diversity comes from requires understanding not just the living world, but the geologic, geographic, and climactic histories that have shaped the evolution of lineages on the island.

Now, human history in the making threatens to undo tens of millions of years of evolution in just a few years of political turmoil  unless safeguards can be put in place to protect Madagascar's unique biota from the instabilities of human institutions. If you can see this text instead of a movie, you need to install Adobe's Flash Player (go to Video podcast on the geologic and evolutionary history of Madagascar provided by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent). To learn more, visit the NESCent website . Read more about it Primary literature: Cooper, A., Lalueza-Fox, C., Anderson, S., Rambaut, A., Austin, J., and Ward, R. (2001). Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of two extinct moas clarify ratite evolution. Nature 409:704-707. Goodman, S. M., and Benstead, J. P. (2005). Updated estimates of biotic diversity and endemism for Madagascar. Oryx 39(1):73-77. Vences, M., Wollenberg, K. C., Vieites, D. R., and Lees, D. C.

(2009). Madagascar as a model region of species diversification. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24(8):456-465. Yoder, A. D., Cartmill, M., Ruvolo, M., Smith, K., and Vilgalys, R. (1996). Ancient single origin for Malagasy primates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 93(10):5122-5126. Yoder, A. D., and Nowak, M. D. (2006). Has vicariance or dispersal been the predominant biogeographic force in Madagascar? Only time will tell. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 37:405-431. News articles: What does it mean to say that an organism is endemic to a particular place? What is the difference between dispersal and vicariance? Lemurs of Madagascar More lemur photos Madagascar is world-famous for its lemurs—primates that look something like a cat crossed with a squirrel and a dog.

These animals are unique to the island and display a range of interesting behaviors from singing like a whale (the indri) to sashaying across the sand like a ballet dancer (the sifaka). Below you will learn more about these fascinating creatures. Lemur history Madagascar lacks the dominant form of primate distributed worldwide, those of the suborder Haplorhini (monkeys, chimps, gorillas, and Homo sapiens). Instead, their niche has been filled by an older group of primates, the lemurs. Lemurs belong to the sub-order Strepsirhini together with bushbabies, lorises, and pottos which—like the original lemurs—are nocturnal, insectivorous primates characterized by a small body, a long nose, and large eyes. Lemurs have an interesting evolutionary history and the only reason they still exist today is because of Madagascar's isolation. Until around 160 million years ago, Madagascar was attached to the African mainland as part of the super continent Gondwanaland (formed of Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, India, and Madagascar). As Gondwanaland broke apart, Madgascar moved away from Africa.

The first lemur-like primates on the fossil record appeared roughly 60 million years ago in mainland Africa and crossed over to Madagascar shortly thereafter. The island continued to drift eastward and by the time monkeys appeared on the scene 17-23 million years ago, Madagascar was isolated from their arrival. As highly intelligent and adaptive primates, monkeys quickly drove the lemur lineage elsewhere in the world toward extinction (a few Strepsirhines—including bushbabies, lorises, and pottos—managed to hang on by retaining their nocturnal, solitary, and insectivorous traits). Madagascar's lemurs—isolated from evolutionary changes of the world—radiated into the large island's many niches without much competition or predation. Today lemurs are found in virtually all of Madagascar's ecosystems and share some of the social and behavioral characteristics of monkeys (i.e., forming social groups, eating fruit and vegetation, and being active during the day). Upper primates did not reach Madagascar until about they learned to navigate the high seas and arrived on boats roughly 2,000 years ago. Humans quickly went to work on the island's lemurs, reducing the number of species found in Madagascar by at least 15.

The largest species suffered the most and today the largest remaining lemur is the Indri which would have been dwarfed by the gorilla-sized species once found on the island. Currently all lemurs are endangered species, due mainly to habitat destruction (deforestation) and hunting . Lemurs today Today Madagascar is home to nearly 60 "taxa" of lemurs (species, sub-species, and populations from 33 species across five families and 14 genera) ranging in size from the 25-gram pygmy mouse lemur to the indri. All these species are endemic to Madagascar (two lemur species were introduced to the Comoros) giving the country the second highest number of primate species after Brazil, which has 77 species (only two endemic genera and no endemic families). And new species are still being discovered— primate researchers speculate that 10-20 new species of lemurs may be described over the next generation.

Global importance of Madagascar's lemurs According to Russell Mittermeier in The Eighth Continent , although Madagascar "is only one of 92 countries with wild primate populations, it is alone responsible for 21 percent (14 of 65) of all primate genera and 36 percent (five of 14) of all primate families, making it the single highest priority" for primate conservation. "Madagascar is so important for primates that primatologists divide the world into four major regions: the whole of South and Central America, all of southern and southeast Asia, mainland Africa, and Madagascar, which ranks as a full-fledged region all by itself." Behavior Non-scientists generally group lemurs by their primary time of activity: day or night. Noctural lemurs are typically smaller and more reclusive than their diurnal counterparts. Lemurs are vocal animals, making sounds that range from the grunts and swears of brown lemurs and sifaka to the chirps of mouse lemurs to the eerie, wailing call of the indri, which has been likened to a cross between a police siren and the song of a humpback whale.

Lemur species counts for selected parks: Protected Area conservation is saving lemurs and helping people in Madagascar (5/7/2007) Madagascar, an island nation that lies off the coast of southeastern Africa, has long been famous for its unique and diverse species of wildlife, especially lemurs--primates found nowhere else on the planet. In recent years, the island country has also become world-renowned for conservation efforts that are succeeding in spite of extraordinary pressures from a poor population that relies heavily on forest burning for basic subsistence. A large part of this success is due to the early efforts of Patricia Wright, a primatologist who has been working in the country for more than 20 years. Wright led the effort to launch the country's leading protected area and helped Madagascar become a leading global example of conservation despite its economic adversity. Lemurs at risk due to invasion of feral beasts, global warming (2/7/2007) The lemurs of Madagascar are among the world's most threatened primates. Extensive habitat destruction, hunting, and the introduction of alien species have doomed dozens of species to extinction since humans first arrived on the island within the past 2000 years.

Most of the casualties were Madagascar's largest lemurs -- today the biggest lemur is but a fraction of the gorilla-sized giants that once ruled the island. Despite this relative impoverishment of megafauna, Madagascar still boasts nearly 90 kinds of lemurs, all of which are unique to the island (save one species that was probably introduced to some nearby islands). Lemurs display a range of unusual behvaiors from singing like a whale (the indri) to sashaying across the sand like a ballet dancer (the sifaka). Interest in lemurs has helped Madagascar become a global conservation priority, though they are still at risk. Continued deforestation, scattered hunting, and looming climate change all pose significant threats to some lemur populations. One largely unexamined threat comes from introduced species such as the Indian civet and mongoose, but especially dogs and cats that have become feral. In search of wildlife, while dodging leeches, in Madagascar's unexplored rainforest (2/5/2007) It is called a rainforest for a reason--because it rains.... and rains.

As my field partner, Angelin Razafimanantsoa, and I make our way down muddy mountainsides in the endless downpour, we stop only long enough to pick squirming, bloodthirsty leeches off each other's face. Hours pass as we wade through knee-deep streams rushing over smooth, slippery rocks and thick forest stands. Seven hours ago, we anticipated arriving at our next base camp in three hours' time. Now, as night is falling, it seems we have at least five hours more to go. Lemurs communicate by scent (1/29/2007) Ringtailed lemurs can recognize each other by scent according to a study published in the current issue of the journal Animal Behaviour. The research, conducted by Elizabeth S. Scordato and Christine M. Drea of Duke University, looked at olfactory communication in the ringtailed lemur, a charismatic primate that forms complex social groups led by a dominant female, so see what information is contained within the scent marks of the species.

3 new lemur species identified in Madagascar (11/27/2006) Genetic analysis has revealed three previously unknown species of lemurs on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. The newly described lemurs are all mouse lemurs, one of the world's smallest primates. These lively lemurs are found in virtually all of Madagascar's forests where they feed on insects, fruit, and plant sap. Nocturnal, mouse lemurs betray their presence with high-pitched chirps. Lemur conservation in Madagascar requires poverty alleviation initiatives (11/5/2006) Madagascar, an island larger than France that lies off the southeastern coast of Africa, is perhaps best known for its lemurs--primates that look something like a cat crossed with a squirrel and a dog. Lemurs, which are found naturally only in Madagascar, serve as a charismatic representation of the island's biodiversity and its problems. Since the arrival of humans some 2000 years ago from southeast Asia, Madagascar has lost all of its mega fauna and more than 90 percent of its wildlands. Today forest clearing for agriculture and hunting continues to put lemurs and other endemic species at risk.

The good news is that because of Madagascar's biodiversity, the island has become a top priority for global conservation. At the forefront of these efforts is the Madagascar Fauna Group (MFG), an international consortium of zoos and related organizations that work to protect Madagascar's wildlife and ecosystems, and the Duke University Lemur Center, the one of the world's leading lemur research facilities. Charlie Welch, currently a research scientist at the Duke University Lemur Center, recently answered some questions on his experiences in lemur conservation. Welch, along with his wife Andrea Katz, has worked in Madagascar for 17 years and helped transform conservation efforts in the country. Climate Change Threatens Lemurs (9/18/2006) Tropical rainforests are among the most stable environments on Earth, but they are still no match for global climate change. Dr. Patricia Wright, the widely admired primatologist and Professor of Anthropology at Stony Brook University, finds that climate change could mean the difference between survival and extinction for endangered lemurs.

Orangutans and chimps are smarter than monkeys and lemurs (8/1/2006) The great apes are the smartest of all nonhuman primates according to scientists at Duke University Medical Center. The researchers found that orangutans and chimpanzees consistently outperformed monkeys and lemurs on a variety of intelligence tests, conclusively proving that apes are more intelligent than monkeys and prosimians. Rare indri lemur born in forest reserve in Madagascar (7/13/2006) A rare lemur known for its haunting whale-like call has given birth in a reserve outside its native forest. The news is significant because the Indri, as the world's largest living lemur is known, has traditionally done poorly when kept in captivity or introduced to outside its montane forest in Madagascar. The birth occurred at Palmarium, a small private reserve of lowland tropical forest established by a tour operator in Madagascar, and provides further hope for the successful conservation of the endangered species. Why does Madagascar have so many unique animals? (5/24/2006) Scientists have developed the first comprehensive theory to explain Madagascar's rich biodiversity.

Madagascar, larger than California and about size the size of Texas or France, is the world's fourth largest island. Isolated in the Indian Ocean off the coast of southern Africa, about 70% of the estimated 250,000 species found on the island exist nowhere else on the globe. The island is home to such evolutionary oddities as lemurs, a group of primates endemic to the island; brilliantly colored lizards including geckos and chameleons; tenrecs, spiny hedgehog-like creatures; and the fossa, a carnivorous animal that looks like a cross between a puma and a dog but is closely related to the mongoose. Madagascar establishes new park system to protect lemurs, benefit people (1/17/2006) Madagascar has created a new agency for managing the parks of the Indian Ocean island nation. The System of Protected Areas of Madagascar, or SAPM, simplifies the legal process used to create a protected areas, while providing for flexibility for local people to earn a living from conservation activities.

Lemur hunting persists in Madagascar, rare primates fall victim to hunger (7/17/2005) While it has been illegal to kill or keep lemurs as pets since 1964, lemurs are hunted where they are not protected by local taboos. Many lemurs are particularly easy targets for hunting because evolution has rendered them ecologically naive in that without natural predators over the majority of their existence, they are less fearful than they should be. Madagascar lemurs descended from single primate ancestor, finds study (7/11/2005) Yale biologists have managed to extract and analyze DNA from giant, extinct lemurs, according to a Yale study published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Evolutionary analysis of the DNA obtained from the extinct giants reveals that they, like the living lemurs, are descended from a single primate ancestor that colonized Madagascar more than 60 million years ago. Dancing lemur attracts tourists to island of Madagascar (5/30/2005) In the dry deciduous forests of south western Madagascar there lives a lemur that loudly cusses but "dances" like a ballet performer.

Verreaux's sifaka is among the most popular of lemur species, a group of primates endemic to islands off the southeastern coast of Africa. While threatened, Verreaux's sifaka is easily spotted is several of Madagascar's more accessible parks. Rainforest Canopy - Primates (3/1/2005) Primates are characteristic of every continental rainforest realm, except for the Australasian realm, and are made up of nearly 200 living species in more than 50 genera. Primates are thought to have originated from their insectivore-like ancestors between 100 million and 65 million years ago. The ancient primates most resembled lemurs and the tarsier of today, and upper primates did not appear until 37 to 23 million years ago. Upper primates include monkeys, apes, chimps, and humans, and the non-human species are generally divided into Old World monkeys and New World monkeys. Lemur links Duke University's Lemur taxa - includes extinct lemur species Find a mistake? Want to submit pictures or content? Contact WildMadagascar.org

Question: What island do lemurs come from?
Answer: Madagascar