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Daubentonia

Daubentonia

9.9
A group of lemurs that includes the aye-aye and lives in Madagascar
  • proper noun
  • /ˌdɔːbənˈtoʊniə/
  • Specialized
: Daubentonia
  • The aye-aye, a member of the genus Daubentonia, uses its long middle finger to extract insects from tree bark.

Examples

  • A larger-sized species, Daubentonia robusta, became extinct on Madagascar, perhaps after humans first arrived approximately 1,500 years ago.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Now firmly classed as femurs, aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) are the sole surviving members of their family.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Scientists study Daubentonia to understand its unique adaptations for finding food in Madagascar's forests.

  • The unusual appearance of Daubentonia has made it a subject of fascination in wildlife documentaries.

Synonyms

aye-aye
vsDaubentonia
1 9.9

A night animal from Madagascar with a very long thin middle finger for getting insects from trees

is broader and denotes the whole genus rather than one species
Daubentonia madagascariensis
vsDaubentonia
  • Specialized
9.9

A lemur from Madagascar active at night with a long thin middle finger to find insects in tree bark

is broader and covers the whole genus rather than one species

Compounds

A lemur from Madagascar active at night with a long thin middle finger to find insects in tree bark

Surface Forms

Etymology

Daubentonia is a scientific name that honors the French naturalist Daubenton, with the ending -ia added as a common form for group names. So Daubentonia is the name given to the aye-aye group, showing the animal group was named after Daubenton.