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Name some of the earliest anthropoids- from 65 mya to 10 mya?

User Allisen
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Final answer:

Early anthropoids from 65 MYA to 10 MYA include the first fossil monkeys from the Oligocene, early apes like Proconsul and Sivapithecus from the Miocene, and the first hominid fossils leading up to upright walkers such as Australopithecus afarensis.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the period from 65 million years ago (MYA) to 10 MYA, a variety of early anthropoids emerged. One of the key groups from the Oligocene epoch, around 34 to 22 MYA, includes the first fossil monkeys found in the Fayum region of Egypt. These primates, such as Parapithecoidea and Propliopithecoidea, are believed to be the ancestors of New World and Old World monkeys, respectively.

Moving forward into the Miocene epoch, we encounter early apes like Proconsul, which existed from 23 to 14 MYA, and Sivapithecus, common throughout Asia. Notably, Proconsul did not have the long, curved digits seen in modern apes, and like other Old World monkeys and apes, displayed a 2.1.2.3 dental pattern.

By the late Miocene, around 10 to 5 MYA, the first hominid fossils appear. The timeline also features important primates known for upright walking, such as Australopithecus afarensis, exemplified by the well-preserved fossil known as 'Lucy', dated at about 3 million years ago. The genus Homo evolved around 2.8 million years ago, marking the emergence of species more closely related to modern humans. Prior to this, very early hominins such as Ardipithecus, Sahelanthropus, and Orrorin made significant contributions to our understanding of human ancestry, with Ardipithecus dating back to approximately 4.4 MYA.