This document provides a taxonomy and overview of the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). It classifies the aye-aye in the mammalian order Primates, suborder Strepsirrhini. The aye-aye is the only living member of the family Daubentoniidae and is endemic to Madagascar. It has developed specialized adaptations for percussive foraging, using taps and probes to detect and extract insects from wood. Key sensory structures in its brain are enlarged relative to other areas, consistent with its niche as a nocturnal forager. The aye-aye is currently classified as "Near Threatened" by the IUCN due

2. Finger'er:
FINGER-­‐BEAST

3. Taxonomy
KINGDOM:
Animalia
PHYLUM:
Chordata
CLASS:
Mammalia
ORDER:
Primates
SUBORDER:
Strepsirrhini
FAMILY:
Daubentoniidae
GENUS:
Daubentonia
SPECIES:
D.
madagascariensis
Cheirogaleidae
Lepilemuridae
INFRAORDER:
Lemuriformes
SUPERFAMILY:
Lemuroidea
Lemuridae
Indriidae

4. 60
40
20
0
Millions
of
years
ago
Early
Eocene-­‐ish
(~55
mya)
INDRIIDAE
19
species
LEMURIDAE
21
species
LEPILEMURIDAE
26
species
CHEIROGALEIDAE
34
species
DAUBENTONIIDAE
D.
madagascariensis

5. “The
aye-­‐aye
seems
to
have
been
assembled
from
le[over
parts
of
a
variety
of
animals.”

6. FOCAL
ADAPTATION:
PERCUSSIVE
FORAGING
“Mammalian
woodpecker”

7. •
TAP
• Rapidly
taps
wood
surface
to
detect
cavi'es
•
Listens
to
reverbera'ons
through
wood
•
Listens
for
burrowing
insects
• PROBE
•
Rips
out
bark
with
teeth
•
Hooks
out
insect
with
nail
•
Yum
• extract.

8. Omnivores!

9. OLFACTORY
BULB
LATERAL
GENICULATE
NUCLEUS
Trade-­‐Off
Sagibal
brain
sec'on
of
D.
madagascariensis
•
Rela've
size
of
of
sensory
structures
consistent
with
niche
as
nocturnal
forager
REDUCED
ENLARGED

10. Classified
“Near
Threatened”
due
to
ongoing
persecu'on

11. “Luck
be
an
Aye-­‐Aye”

12. Literature
Cited