Abstract
This overview of the positional behavior and evolutionary history of Malagasy strepsirrhines is based on the humeral and femoral morphology of extinct and extant forms. It argues against the hypothesis that vertical clinging and leaping was ancestral for Malagasy lemurs in general, and for indroids in particular. Special attention is given to the evolutionary history of the Indroidea, and a new interpretation of their relationships is offered. It appears that specialized forms of leaping, as well as specialized slow, quadrupedal climbing, evolved repeatedly within the Malagasy strepsirrhines (i.e., in both Indroidea and Lemuroidea) from a generalized quadrupedal ancestor that would have included a certain amount of leaping and bounding in its positional repertory, but also slow climbing and occasional hindlimb suspension.
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