Remarkable ancient divergences amongst neglected lorisiform primates.

Lorisiform primates (Primates: Strepsirrhini: Lorisiformes) represent almost 10% of the living primate species and are widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and South/South-East Asia; however, their taxonomy, evolutionary history, and biogeography are still poorly understood. In this study we report the largest molecular phylogeny in terms of the number of represented taxa. We sequenced the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for 86 lorisiform specimens, including ∼80% of all the species currently recognized. Our results support the monophyly of the Galagidae, but a common ancestry of the Lorisinae and Perodicticinae (family Lorisidae) was not recovered. These three lineages have early origins, with the Galagidae and the Lorisinae diverging in the Oligocene at about 30 Mya and the Perodicticinae emerging in the early Miocene. Our mitochondrial phylogeny agrees with recent studies based on nuclear data, and supports Euoticus as the oldest galagid lineage and the polyphyletic status of Galagoides. Moreover, we have elucidated phylogenetic relationships for several species never included before in a molecular phylogeny. The results obtained in this study suggest that lorisiform diversity remains substantially underestimated and that previously unnoticed cryptic diversity might be present within many lineages, thus urgently requiring a comprehensive taxonomic revision of this primate group.

Dental disease in slender lorises (Loris tardigradus).

Necropsies were performed in 25 slender lorises (Loris tardigradus) from a colony at Bochum University. In seven adult individuals, teeth were missing, loose, or severely affected by dental calculus. In one of these cases, a severe periodontal disease was seen without abscess formation. In another four lorises purulent/gangrenous inflammation was found next to the teeth either in the maxillary or the mandibular region.

Gallstones in slender lorises (Loris tardigradus).

A total of 32 slender lorises (Loris tardigradus) kept in captivity were investigated postmortem. In five adult lorises (4 females, 1 male), the gallbladder contained either one gallstone or multiple gallstones. Except for one 5-yr-old female, the affected individuals were between 11 and 13 yr of age. All of the gallstones consisted of 100% cholesterol. Besides other predisposing factors such as species, sex, increasing age, and diabetes mellitus, nutrition may play a major role in the occurrence of these gallstones.

Polycystic nephropathy in slender lorises (Loris lydekkerianus).

In a colony of slender lorises, 20 deaths that occurred over a period of 11 years were investigated postmortem. Juvenile/adult polycystic nephropathy was observed in one newborn and 13 adult slender lorises. Although polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in humans and other animals is known to be inherited, it is not clear whether kidney alterations in slender lorises are genetically transmitted, stress related, or induced by microbiological influences.