The official podcast of the Duke Lemur Center. Your hosts, Education Programs Manager Megan McGrath and DLC Museum of Natural History Curator Matt Borths, Ph.D., are venturing into all things lemur: science, research, conservation, husbandry, Madagascar, and so much more! Each mini-season will be focused on a particular subject, and each episode will include discussions and interviews with experts to learn as much as we can about these amazing primates together.
Description: Over the last few years, Aye-Aye Pod Co-Host Matt Borths has been part of a paleontology team exploring an exciting new fossil site called Topernawi, which is near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya. But, aren’t lemurs from Madagascar? What’s a Lemur Center paleontologist doing in Kenya? In this episode, Co-host Megan McGrath turns the interview spotlight on Matt to figure out if he’s landed on the wrong continent. Turns out Topernawi – a fossil site that was only discovered a few years ago – may have ancient apes, monkeys, and lemur fossils from the time just before lemurs rafted across the ocean to Madagascar. Topernawi has fossils of remarkable African creatures like elephant and giant hyraxes. Tune in for the lemurs. Stay for the giant hyraxes. Matt and Megan also discuss baby season at the Duke Lemur Center, other famous fossils from Kenya, and the weird objects Megan needs to find to tell the story of lemur reproduction.
Click here for a full transcript of this episode.
Click here for the research paper on the skeleton of Homo habilis.
Click here for news coverage of the skeleton of Homo habilis.
Click here for Wikipedia’s rundown of Lake Turkana fun facts.
Click here for images of Turkana from Matt’s time teaching a field course there.
The post A Busy Time in Primate Evolution: Spring 2026 first appeared on Duke Lemur Center.
23 Jan 2026
A Creature That Has a Superpower: Winter 2026
In this episode of Aye-aye Pod, we finally discuss a truly incredible little lemur with evolutionary superpowers: the fat-tailed dwarf lemur! Dwarf lemurs are the only members of our primate family tree that are obligate hibernators. Tune in for a crash course in what makes these hibernating primates so fascinating and how our non-harmful research into their unique adaptations could have far-ranging impacts from conservation to deep space travel.
Click HERE for a transcript of this episode.
For more information on all things Duke Lemur Center, visit our website.
The post A Creature That Has a Superpower: Winter 2026 first appeared on Duke Lemur Center.
5 Dec 2025
Rules for Free-ranging: Fall 2025
Aye-aye Pod is back! In this episode, we cover what’s kept us away, what you can expect in future episodes, and what happens at the Duke Lemur Center as we transition into cooler weather. Tune in with your hosts Megan and Matt for a behind-the-scenes discussion of what it takes to free-range lemurs to leap, snack, and snooze in large forest habitats, a gross-but-cool (grool?) ring-tailed lemur fact, and an exciting paleontology development closer to the human side of our primate family tree!
Click HERE for a transcript of this episode.
For more information on all things Duke Lemur Center visit our website.
The post Rules for Free-ranging: Fall 2025 first appeared on Duke Lemur Center.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
11 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
19 ratings
Host of Aye-aye Pod?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
