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READ NOW: The “Why” Issue of the DLC Magazine

  Of all the animals on Earth, why are we so passionate about lemurs? Of all the islands in the ocean, why is Madagascar remarkable—and so worthy of our conservation attention? In the new “Why” issue of the DLC magazine, you’ll find out!  Complimentary copies of the magazine have been mailed to donors of $250+ […]

Fossil Feature: Megaladapis

By Alanna Marron, Lead Education Technician Who Was Megaladapis? Slowly and deliberately, a large creature moves through the tree tops. Its large hands and feet securely grasp the branches as it reaches for a tasty branch of leaves. This is Megaladapis. Also known as the “koala lemur,” Megaladapis is an extinct subfossil lemur from Madagascar. […]

Four fossil skulls in profile against a black background

Duke Fossils Shine New Light on Mass Extinction Event

Around 30 million years ago, the Earth’s climate shifted from swampy to icy, and 63 percent of mammal species vanished from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. A large collection of fossils housed at the Duke Lemur Center Division of Fossil Primates, representing the life’s work of the late Elwyn Simons of Duke, has enabled scientists […]

NEW ISSUE: 2019 Annual DLC Magazine — Read Online!

Extra, extra! Read all about it! The second annual DLC Magazine has been published, and it is GORGEOUS! Special features include: A 37-year photo retrospective: Nearing retirement, longtime DLC photographer David Haring picks all-time favorite photos from the past 37 years — and shares the stories behind the shots Attention Zoboomafoo and Wild Kratts fans: Martin […]

Fossil Friday: A subfossil baby lemur

By Matt Borths, Curator of the Duke Lemur Center’s Division of Fossil Primates. In honor of baby Coquerel’s sifaka Marie’s big media debut, here’s a baby lemur from the Division of Fossil Primates! (Seriously, if you haven’t seen the video of Marie that was uploaded yesterday, find your way to it now. The fossils will wait, […]

Fossil Friday: Prohylobates, an 18-million-year-old relative of Old World Monkeys

By Matt Borths, Curator of the Duke Lemur Center’s Division of Fossil Primates. In the Division of Fossil Primates at the Duke Lemur Center, we have fossils that can be used to explore all the major branches of the primate family. These two dark specimens are from Prohylobates, an 18-million-year-old relative of Old World Monkeys, the […]

Fossil Friday: Fruits

By Matt Borths, Curator of the Duke Lemur Center’s Division of Fossil Primates. Many of our lemurs love the chance to savor a chunk of ripe fruit, and you probably love a crispy apple or juicy strawberry when you can find one. Loving fruit is something that unites us as primates, and the fossil record of […]

Fossil Friday: Archaeolemur, extinct baboon-sized giant lemur

By Matt Borths, Curator of the Duke Lemur Center’s Division of Fossil Primates. Meet Archaeolemur, a baboon-sized giant lemur that went extinct in Madagascar between 1,000 and 300 years ago! The fossils of giant lemurs are often found in caves. On the right is the upper leg bone of this Archaelemur as it was found in […]