Aim Small body size in Madagascar’s dwarf and mouse lemurs (Cheirogalei-dae) is generally viewed as primitive. We investigated the evolution of bodysize in this family and in its sister-taxon, the Lepilemuridae, from phylogenetic,ontogenetic and adaptive perspectives.Location Madagascar.Methods We used a phylogenetic method to reconstruct the evolution ofbody size in lemurs, and allometric regression models of gestation periods andstatic and growth allometries in Cheirogaleidae and Lepilemuridae to test thehypothesis that dwarfing occurred as a result of truncated ontogeny (progene-sis). We also examined adaptive hypotheses relating body size to environmentalvariability, life history, seasonality of reproduction, hypothermy (use of tor-por), and a diet rich in plant exudates.Results Our results indicated that cheirogaleids experienced at least four inde-pendent events of body size reduction from an ancestor as large as livingLepilemuridae, by means of progenesis. Our interpretation is supported by thepaedomorphic appearance and parallel ontogenetic trajectories of the dwarftaxa, as well as their very short gestation periods and increased fecundity.Lepilemur species that occupy more predictable environments are significantlylarger than those occupying unpredictable habitats.Main conclusions Cheirogaleidae appear to be paedomorphic dwarfs, a con-sequence of progenesis, probably as an adaptation to high environmentalunpredictability. Although the capacity to use hypothermy is related to smallbody size, this advantage is unlikely to have driven dwarfing in cheirogaleids.We propose that gummmivory/exudativory co-evolved with body size reduc-tion in this clade, probably from a folivorous ancestor. Their small size isderived, and their suitability as models for the ‘ancestral primate’ is thereforedubious.KeywordsAncestor reconstruction, body size evolution, dwarfism, hypervariability,island rule, lemurs, Lepilemuridae, Madagascar, ontogeny, progenesis.INTRODUCTIONThe currently popular model of a small, nocturnal primateancestor was largely inspired by an extant family of Malagasylemurs, the Cheirogaleidae, which includes the smallest livingprimates (30–400 g). Mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.), inparticular, are believed to have retained a series of primitivecharacters associated with their very small size (30–100 g):nocturnality, insectivorous/omnivorous diet, fast life history,nest-building, altricial infants carried by mouth, solitarysocial structure, and a promiscuous mating system (Charles-Dominique & Martin, 1970; Cartmill, 1972, 1974, 1992;Martin, 1972, 1990; Kappeler, 1998; Wimmer et al., 2002;Gebo, 2004; Scheumann & Zimmermann, 2008; Montgomeryet al., 2010; but see Soligo, 2006; Masters et al., 2007; Soligo& Martin, 2007). This interpretation is frequently associated