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The animated movie, Madagascar, helped raise the profile of the beautiful island nation’s animal endowment. But there’s far more richness to Madagascar’s fauna than the iconic lemurs. Madagascar is a biodiversity wonderland. Scientists estimate that about 85% of its animal species and 90% of its plant species are endemic, meaning they aren’t found anywhere else in the world.
Its marine and aquatic ecosystems are equally rich in diversity - including a newly discovered species of long-nosed skate that, writes Simon Weigmann, has only been found in the Madagascar Ridge, a remote, elevated area of seabed south of the island.
We’ve also previously published articles about Madagascar’s tiny frogs (the smallest of which is just longer than a grain of rice) and its giant tortoises, as well as fossil finds that explain Madagascar’s central role in the
story of chameleons and baobab trees.
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Natasha Joseph
Commissioning Editor
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Simon Weigmann, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change
The skate is found in deep waters and it’s not clear how fisheries might threaten the species.
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Andrew R. Leitch, Queen Mary University of London
New research has found that the world’s baobab trees all evolved on Madagascar 21 million years ago. Sometime in the last 12 million years, they floated on piles of debris to Australia and Africa.
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Mark D. Scherz, Technical University Braunschweig
Madagascar stands out as an exceptionally interesting place in which to study the evolution of “mini” creatures. And we are only just starting to scratch the surface of this.
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Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan, University of Cape Town
The findings have repercussions today: it is clear that slow-growing animals will be the most vulnerable to extinction amid shifting climates.
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Andrej Čerňanský, Comenius University, Bratislava
This fossil find provides strong evidence of an African origin for some Malagasy chameleon lineages.
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Miguel Pedrono, Cirad; Andrinajoro R. Rakotoarivelo, University of the Free State; Colleen Seymour, University of Cape Town; Grant Joseph, University of Cape Town
Re-wilding Madagascar with giant tortoises last found on the island 600 years ago could help the island mitigate climate change.
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Mijoro Rakotoarinivo, Université d’Antananarivo
International and local demand have brought Madagascar’s palm species to the brink of extinction.
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Mark D. Scherz, Technical University Braunschweig
The largest of these frogs could sit happily on your thumbnail. The smallest is just longer than a grain of rice.
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24 July 2024
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Johannesburg
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26 July 2024
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Johannesburg
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1 August 2024
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Johannesburg
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