Lemur of mouse lemurs, the gray mouse lemur ("M. murinus"), golden-brown mouse lemur ("M. ravelobensis"), and Goodman's mouse lemur ("M. lehilahytsara") were considered the same species until recently, when genetic tests identified them as cryptic species. The lemur dentition is heterodont (having multiple tooth morphologies) and derives from an ancestral primate permanent dentition of . Indriids, sportive lemurs, the aye-aye, and the extinct sloth lemurs, monkey lemurs, and koala lemurs have reduced dentitions, having lost incisors, canines, or premolars. The ancestral deciduous dentition is , but young indriids, aye-ayes, koala lemurs, sloth lemurs, and probably monkey lemurs have fewer deciduous teeth.
Deciduous inner bark. In the spring, these proteins are used as a nitrogen source during the growth of new leaves or flowers. Plants with deciduous foliage have advantages and disadvantages compared to plants with evergreen foliage. Since deciduous plants lose their leaves to conserve water or to better survive winter weather conditions, they must regrow new foliage during the next suitable growing season; this uses resources which evergreens do not need to expend. Evergreens suffer greater water loss during the winter and they also can experience greater predation pressure, especially when small. Losing leaves in winter may reduce damage from insects;