Question

Which of the following is true of the Oligocene Epoch (33.9-23 million years ago)?

a) Monkeys evolved from prosimians during this epoch or at the tail end of the Eocene Epoch which preceded it.
b) Unusually large numbers of fossil primates from this epoch have been found.
c) There was very little geological and climatic change during this epoch.
d) All of the above are true.

Answer 1

The correct answer is a) Monkeys evolved from prosimians during the Oligocene Epoch or at the tail end of the Eocene Epoch. This was a time of significant evolutionary advancement for primates, which included the development of the first fossil monkeys.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question about the Oligocene Epoch is a) Monkeys evolved from prosimians during this epoch or at the tail end of the Eocene Epoch which preceded it. During the Oligocene Epoch (33.9-23 million years ago), primates underwent significant evolutionary changes. The first fossil monkeys are traced back to this period, with the earliest haplorrhine fossils found at the Fayum archaeological site. These primates, identified as Parapithecoidea and Propliopithecoidea, exhibit a dental formula in line with that of the New World and Old World monkeys.

There is no evidence to suggest that b) unusually large numbers of fossil primates from this epoch have been found, and c) the Oligocene was a period of little geological and climatic change. In fact, the climate did change during this epoch, becoming cooler and drier, which had a great impact on the evolution and distribution of plant and animal life.