Galago fossil map
Where fossils of Galago have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 11.63 million years ago to the present (Tortonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Galagidae |
| Named by | Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1796 |
| Fossil records | 26 occurrences at 12 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Egypt |
| Rock formations | txn:90334, Shungura, Olduvai, Humbu, Kanapoi, Vogel River Series |
About Galago
Lesser bushbabies, or lesser galagos, are strepsirrhine primates of the genus Galago. They are classified, along with the other bushbaby and galago genera in the family Galagidae. They are probably the most numerous primate in Africa, and can be found in every large forest on the continent, inhabiting forested areas, savannas, riverine bush and open woodlands.
They mark their territory by urinating on their hands and leaving traces on the trees they climb across, and they follow these detectable paths through the trees night after night. Males will also urinate on females to mark them. They are related to lorises, and have similar behavior and anatomy. They are much faster, however, and typically hunt by speed rather than by stealth. Primitive bushbabies are thought to have been the ancestors of all lemurs.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Lesser bushbaby (revision 1315045923), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q285214.
