ABSTRACT
Lemuriforms are often called Malagasy primates because they share their island with the political entity called the Malagasy Republic. The descriptions of lemuriforms behavior are arranged under: ecology, sociality, life cycle, and cognition. Many lemuriforms are nocturnal animals, but others are active to varying degrees in daylight. Despite this profound difference, there are many similarities across the entire taxon. Two opposing theories account for this fact: Energy Conservation and Evolutionary Disequilibrium or Mismatch. Despite the last, males compete intensely for mating opportunities during the brief mating seasons. The common traits include monomorphy, low basal metabolism, frequency of pair-groups, and recurrent female dominance. Despite the last, males compete intensely for mating opportunities during the brief mating seasons. Different species give birth at different times, but all wean their young during the same period of the year when the food supply is most certain. Low milk quality and small neonates suggest that low maternal investment is adaptive in the dangerously fluctuating environment.
