Multiple bursts of speciation in Madagascar’s endangered lemurs

Kathryn M. Everson; Luca Pozzi; Meredith A. Barrett; Mary E. Blair; Mariah E. Donohue; Peter M. Kappeler; Andrew C. Kitchener; Alan R. Lemmon; Emily Moriarty Lemmon; Carlos J. Pavón-Vázquez; Ute Radespiel; Blanchard Randrianambinina; Rodin M. Rasoloarison; Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona; Christian Roos; Jordi Salmona; Anne D. Yoder; Rosana Zenil-Ferguson; Dietmar Zinner; David W. Weisrock

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-62310-y

Multiple bursts of speciation in Madagascar’s endangered lemurs

Kathryn M. Everson, Luca Pozzi, Meredith A. Barrett, Mary E. Blair, Mariah E. Donohue, Peter M. Kappeler, Andrew C. Kitchener, Alan R. Lemmon, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Carlos J. Pavón-Vázquez, Ute Radespiel, Blanchard Randrianambinina, Rodin M. Rasoloarison, Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona, Christian Roos, Jordi Salmona, Anne D. Yoder, Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Dietmar Zinner, David W. Weisrock

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lemurs are often cited as an example of adaptive radiation, as more than 100 extant species have evolved and filled ecological niches on Madagascar. However, recent work suggests that lemurs lack a hallmark of other adaptive radiations: explosive speciation rates that decline over time. Thus, characterizing the tempo and mode of evolution in lemurs can reveal alternative ways that hyperdiverse clades arise over time, which might differ from traditional models. We explore lemur evolution using a phylogenomic dataset with broad taxonomic sampling that includes the lorisiforms of Asia and continental Africa. Our analyses reveal multiple bursts of diversification (without subsequent declines) that explain much of today’s lemur diversity. We also find higher rates of speciation in Madagascar’s lemurs compared to lorisiforms, and we demonstrate that the lemur clades with high diversification rates also have high rates of genomic introgression. This suggests that hybridization in these primates is not an evolutionary dead-end, but potential fuel for diversification. Considering the conservation crisis affecting strepsirrhine primates, with approximately 95% of species threatened with extinction, this study offers a perspective for explaining Madagascar’s primate diversity and reveals patterns of speciation, extinction, and gene flow that will help inform future conservation decisions.

Original language	English
Article number	7070
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62310-y
State	Published - Dec 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.

Funding

In memoriam of Elke Zimmermann, who was an esteemed and influential collaborator in the early stages of this project. We also recognize the mentorship, support, and collaboration of the late Judith C. Masters. Thanks to Melissa Hawkins, Laura Kubatko, Ryan Raaum, and three anonymous reviewers for substantially improving the quality of this manuscript. We also thank the following individuals for their lab, field, and infrastructure support: B. Allen, B. Andriatsitohaina, J. Cherry, M. Craul, N. Daniel, I. Dröscher, E. Ehmke, M. Rina Evasoa, M. Foley, J. Frederick, K. Freeman, A. Greven, A. Hasainaina, Z. Hert, B. Iambana, A. Jones, A. Junge, A. Katz, C. Kerrick, G. Kett, F. Kiene, M. Kortyna, R. Lewis, M. Le, M. Matocq, K. Martin, R. McGinnis, R. Munds, H. Rafalinirina, T. Rakotonanahary, R. Rakotondravony, M. Ramsay, F. Rasambainarivo, O. Schülke, H. Teixeira, D. Weisenbeck, C. Welch, C. Williams, and S. Zehr. We are grateful to the following museum curators and collection managers for their permissions and assistance with sample acquisition: S. Schaefer and S. Katanova (Ambrose Monell Cryo Collection, American Museum of Natural History); C. Phillips and H. Garner (Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University); N. Duncan and G. Amato (Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History); and E. Gilissen (Mammals Collection, Royal Museum for Central Africa). We thank the following organizations for facilitating fieldwork and logistical assistance: the Madagascar Biodiversity Project Field Team, Ankoatsifaka Research Station, Betampona Strict Nature Reserve, Centre ValBio (CVB), Ministère de l’Environnement et Developpement Durable, Madagascar National Parks (MNP), Madagascar Fauna Group (MFG), Madagascar Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Ecosystems (MICET), Groupe d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP), Planet Madagascar, Système des Aires Protégées, and the Committee for Flora and Fauna (CAFF/CORE). This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation grants DEB-1355000 (ADY, DWW), DEB-2207198 (KME, DWW), BCS-1926215 (MEB), BCS-1926105 (LP), and OIA-1826801 (KME); the University Research Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Kentucky (KME); the Groupe d’Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (UR); Otto-Stiftung (UR); the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung) grant 01LC1617A (UR); the German Research Foundation grants DFG Ra502/7-1 (UR) and DFG Ra502/20-1 (UR); the Saint Louis Zoo Field Conservation for Research Fund (MAB); the Duke University Center for International Studies (MAB); the Duke Graduate School (MAB); and the Nicholas School of the Environment (MAB).

Funders	Funder number
Madagascar National Parks in Andringitra National Park
KME
Nicholas School of the Environment
University of Kentucky
Duke-Kunshan University
Committee for Flora and Fauna
Saint Louis Zoo Field Conservation for Research Fund
Otto-Stiftung
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Dallas
Groupe d’Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar
Groupe d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP)
American Museum of Natural History
Planet Madagascar, Système des Aires Protégées
Ministère de l’Environnement et Developpement Durable
Department of Mammalogy
Madagascar Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Ecosystems
National Science Foundation Arctic Social Science Program	DEB-2207198, DEB-1355000, BCS-1926105, BCS-1926215, OIA-1826801
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft	Ra502/20-1, DFG Ra502/7-1
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung	01LC1617A

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General
General Physics and Astronomy

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Cite this

Everson, K. M., Pozzi, L., Barrett, M. A., Blair, M. E., Donohue, M. E., Kappeler, P. M., Kitchener, A. C., Lemmon, A. R., Lemmon, E. M., Pavón-Vázquez, C. J., Radespiel, U., Randrianambinina, B., Rasoloarison, R. M., Rasoloharijaona, S., Roos, C., Salmona, J., Yoder, A. D., Zenil-Ferguson, R., Zinner, D., & Weisrock, D. W. (2025). Multiple bursts of speciation in Madagascar’s endangered lemurs. Nature Communications, 16(1), Article 7070. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62310-y

@article{d5bf3bbd8d674926aabe0ce519f73b47,

title = "Multiple bursts of speciation in Madagascar{\textquoteright}s endangered lemurs",

abstract = "Lemurs are often cited as an example of adaptive radiation, as more than 100 extant species have evolved and filled ecological niches on Madagascar. However, recent work suggests that lemurs lack a hallmark of other adaptive radiations: explosive speciation rates that decline over time. Thus, characterizing the tempo and mode of evolution in lemurs can reveal alternative ways that hyperdiverse clades arise over time, which might differ from traditional models. We explore lemur evolution using a phylogenomic dataset with broad taxonomic sampling that includes the lorisiforms of Asia and continental Africa. Our analyses reveal multiple bursts of diversification (without subsequent declines) that explain much of today{\textquoteright}s lemur diversity. We also find higher rates of speciation in Madagascar{\textquoteright}s lemurs compared to lorisiforms, and we demonstrate that the lemur clades with high diversification rates also have high rates of genomic introgression. This suggests that hybridization in these primates is not an evolutionary dead-end, but potential fuel for diversification. Considering the conservation crisis affecting strepsirrhine primates, with approximately 95\% of species threatened with extinction, this study offers a perspective for explaining Madagascar{\textquoteright}s primate diversity and reveals patterns of speciation, extinction, and gene flow that will help inform future conservation decisions.",

author = "Everson, \{Kathryn M.\} and Luca Pozzi and Barrett, \{Meredith A.\} and Blair, \{Mary E.\} and Donohue, \{Mariah E.\} and Kappeler, \{Peter M.\} and Kitchener, \{Andrew C.\} and Lemmon, \{Alan R.\} and Lemmon, \{Emily Moriarty\} and Pav{\'o}n-V{\'a}zquez, \{Carlos J.\} and Ute Radespiel and Blanchard Randrianambinina and Rasoloarison, \{Rodin M.\} and Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona and Christian Roos and Jordi Salmona and Yoder, \{Anne D.\} and Rosana Zenil-Ferguson and Dietmar Zinner and Weisrock, \{David W.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-62310-y",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

number = "1",

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Everson, KM, Pozzi, L, Barrett, MA, Blair, ME, Donohue, ME, Kappeler, PM, Kitchener, AC, Lemmon, AR, Lemmon, EM, Pavón-Vázquez, CJ, Radespiel, U, Randrianambinina, B, Rasoloarison, RM, Rasoloharijaona, S, Roos, C, Salmona, J, Yoder, AD, Zenil-Ferguson, R, Zinner, D & Weisrock, DW 2025, 'Multiple bursts of speciation in Madagascar’s endangered lemurs', Nature Communications, vol. 16, no. 1, 7070. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62310-y

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T1 - Multiple bursts of speciation in Madagascar’s endangered lemurs

AU - Everson, Kathryn M.

AU - Pozzi, Luca

AU - Barrett, Meredith A.

AU - Blair, Mary E.

AU - Donohue, Mariah E.

AU - Kappeler, Peter M.

AU - Kitchener, Andrew C.

AU - Lemmon, Alan R.

AU - Lemmon, Emily Moriarty

AU - Pavón-Vázquez, Carlos J.

AU - Radespiel, Ute

AU - Randrianambinina, Blanchard

AU - Rasoloarison, Rodin M.

AU - Rasoloharijaona, Solofonirina

AU - Roos, Christian

AU - Salmona, Jordi

AU - Yoder, Anne D.

AU - Zenil-Ferguson, Rosana

AU - Zinner, Dietmar

AU - Weisrock, David W.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Lemurs are often cited as an example of adaptive radiation, as more than 100 extant species have evolved and filled ecological niches on Madagascar. However, recent work suggests that lemurs lack a hallmark of other adaptive radiations: explosive speciation rates that decline over time. Thus, characterizing the tempo and mode of evolution in lemurs can reveal alternative ways that hyperdiverse clades arise over time, which might differ from traditional models. We explore lemur evolution using a phylogenomic dataset with broad taxonomic sampling that includes the lorisiforms of Asia and continental Africa. Our analyses reveal multiple bursts of diversification (without subsequent declines) that explain much of today’s lemur diversity. We also find higher rates of speciation in Madagascar’s lemurs compared to lorisiforms, and we demonstrate that the lemur clades with high diversification rates also have high rates of genomic introgression. This suggests that hybridization in these primates is not an evolutionary dead-end, but potential fuel for diversification. Considering the conservation crisis affecting strepsirrhine primates, with approximately 95% of species threatened with extinction, this study offers a perspective for explaining Madagascar’s primate diversity and reveals patterns of speciation, extinction, and gene flow that will help inform future conservation decisions.

AB - Lemurs are often cited as an example of adaptive radiation, as more than 100 extant species have evolved and filled ecological niches on Madagascar. However, recent work suggests that lemurs lack a hallmark of other adaptive radiations: explosive speciation rates that decline over time. Thus, characterizing the tempo and mode of evolution in lemurs can reveal alternative ways that hyperdiverse clades arise over time, which might differ from traditional models. We explore lemur evolution using a phylogenomic dataset with broad taxonomic sampling that includes the lorisiforms of Asia and continental Africa. Our analyses reveal multiple bursts of diversification (without subsequent declines) that explain much of today’s lemur diversity. We also find higher rates of speciation in Madagascar’s lemurs compared to lorisiforms, and we demonstrate that the lemur clades with high diversification rates also have high rates of genomic introgression. This suggests that hybridization in these primates is not an evolutionary dead-end, but potential fuel for diversification. Considering the conservation crisis affecting strepsirrhine primates, with approximately 95% of species threatened with extinction, this study offers a perspective for explaining Madagascar’s primate diversity and reveals patterns of speciation, extinction, and gene flow that will help inform future conservation decisions.

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Multiple bursts of speciation in Madagascar’s endangered lemurs

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