Lemurs are primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. The name 'lemur' itself comes from the word 'Lemures' which comes from mytologi Roman which means ghosts or spirits, which was first used to describe types of lemurs are nocturnal and movement is slow, but the latter is more geared to the type of primate native to Madagascar this.

Although lemurs are one species of primates, but they were not the result of the evolution of monkeys and apes. They only have the same morphology and habits with other primate species.

Lemurs arrived in Madagascar around 62 to 65 million years ago across the seas. Since that time, lemurs live and adapt to the environment of Madagascar. By the time humans first arrived on the island about 2000 years ago, there lemur the size of a gorilla.

Currently there are about 100 known species of lemurs, and most of these species have been discovered or promoted to be recognized as a separate species since the 1990s. However, lemur taxonomic classification is controversial and varies depending on which species concept is used.

Lemur sizes range from 30 grams weighing up to 9 kg. Lemurs have much in common with basal primates, such as the number of fingers on their hands and feet and they have nails instead of claws. However, the ratio of brain size to body they are smaller than an anthropoid primates.

Lemur arguably the most social of primates strepsirrhine and communicate using smell and sound than with visual signals. Lemur has a low basal metabolism, have a mating season, dormancy (such as hibernation), or the dominance of female lemurs.

Lemurs are the main food fruits and leaves. Although the food of the lemurs are the same, but different lemur species have 'game' their own, despite living in the same forest.

More focused research on lemurs in the field of Taxonomy and specimen collectionselama 18th century and the 19th century. Modern research on new lemur began in the early 1950s and 1960s. Lemur is an important part in the study because they have a mix of primitive characteristics with the properties of anthropoid primates that might explain the evolution of primates and humans.

Unfortunately, many lemur species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and poaching. Although the tradition of local residents tend to help protect lemurs and their forests, but illegal logging, poverty, and political conflict makes conservation of these primates to be difficult.