Final answer:
The oldest known tarsier fossils indicate that tarsiers have ancient origins, primitive features, and a long evolutionary history, suggesting a close relationship with other primate groups within the prosimian category.
Step-by-step explanation:
The oldest known tarsier fossils suggest that these primates have a long evolutionary history and possess primitive features. Tarsiers are some of the most ancient members of the primate group called prosimians, which includes lemurs, aye-ayes, lorises, and tarsiers. This classification is supported by the finding that tarsiers share characteristics both with other members of the prosimian group and with anthropoid primates, such as the inability to synthesize Vitamin C autonomously.
Moreover, the early diversification of primates into four main groups places tarsiers within the context of primate evolution, highlighting the significance of these fossils. Tarsiers, being the only primate carnivore, with their distinctive morphology such as extremely large eyes and a head capable of rotating like an owl's, hold a unique position in the primate lineage. These distinctive features along with the fossil record and genetic evidence highlight their long evolutionary journey, and that they are related to other primate groups, despite their unique characteristics.