Which extinct giant lemur weighed up to 200 kg?

Archaeoindris was the extinct giant lemur associated with body-mass estimates approaching 200 kilograms. It was the largest-known strepsirrhine primate and one of the largest primates ever to evolve.

The species, Archaeoindris fontoynontii, lived on Madagascar and belonged to the extinct family Palaeopropithecidae, known as the sloth lemurs. Its closest relative was probably Palaeopropithecus, another large, extinct lemur. Archaeoindris was roughly comparable in overall size to a male gorilla.

Its exact mass is uncertain because the fossil record is extremely sparse. Older estimates reached about 200 kilograms or more, while later regression analyses based on the femur produced a best estimate near 160 kilograms, with a broad possible range. The phrase “up to 200 kg” reflects this history of changing estimates.

Only a handful of postcranial bones have been found, all from Ampasambazimba in central Madagascar. Evidence suggests it ate mostly leaves and may have climbed deliberately, visiting the ground to travel. It survived into the period of human settlement and was vulnerable to hunting and habitat loss.