Bugtilemur is an extinct genus of Strepsirhineprimate belonging to the adapiform family Ekgmowechashalidae.It is represented by only one species, B. mathesoni, which was found in the Chitarwata Formation of Pakistan.[1]
When first described, Bugtilemur was classified in the lemur family Cheirogaleidae, complicating the picture of the early evolution of lemurs by suggesting that lemurs originated in Asia.[2]
Described from a few teeth, the specimen possesses a lower canine that, according to Marivaux et al., confirms the presence of the strepsirrhine-specific toothcomb. Furthermore, on the basis of cheektooth morphology, the molars share strong affinities with those of the genus Cheirogaleus (dwarf lemurs).[3] However, Bugtilemur appears to be much smaller than the extant Malagasy genus and its toothcomb was shorter and broader.[4] More recently, the structure and general presence of the toothcomb in Bugtilemur has been questioned, as well as many other dental features, suggesting that it is most likely an adapiform.[5] The adapiform nature of Bugtilemur was confirmed in a 2016 cladistic analysis that recovered it in the family Ekgmowechashalidae, which is more consistent with the lemur fossil record.[6]
^Marivaux, L.; Welcomme, J.-L.; Antoine, P.-O.; Metais, G.; Baloch, I. M.; Benammi, M.; Chaimanee, Y.; Ducrocq, S.; Jaeger, J.-J. (19 October 2001). "A fossil lemur from the Oligocene of Pakistan". Science. 294 (5542): 587–591. Bibcode:2001Sci...294..587M. doi:10.1126/science.1065257. PMID11641497. S2CID10585152.
^Gould, Lisa; Sauther, Michelle L., eds. (2006). Lemurs: Ecology and Adaptation (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects) (1 ed.). Springer. pp. 8–9. ISBN978-0-387-34585-7.