Question

On what continent(s) have most of the primate fossils from the Eocene been found? What is the earliest Eocene primate known to science? What happened to the Eocene primates? What is the primary hypothesis for how some of them reached South America? Compare and contrast the two Oligocene primates from El Fayum that were discussed in this course.

Answer 1

Most Eocene primate fossils were found in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, with Purgatorius unio being the oldest known. Primates likely reached South America by oceanic dispersal. The El Fayum primates, Parapithecoidea and Propliopithecoidea, are believed to be ancestors of New World and Old World monkeys, respectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

Most Eocene primate fossils have been found on continents such as North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The earliest known Eocene primate is Purgatorius unio. The evolution of primates during the Eocene epoch was significant, resulting in many species that had characteristics similar to modern-day prosimians like lemurs. By the end of the Eocene, many early prosimian species went extinct, possibly due to cooler temperatures or competition from emerging monkeys. The primary hypothesis for how some primates reached South America is through oceanic dispersal, likely rafting on vegetation mats across the Atlantic from Africa. As for the two Oligocene primates from El Fayum, Parapithecoidea is believed to be the earliest New World monkey ancestor, evidenced by its dental formula, which differs from the Propliopithecoidea, the latter considered the precursor to Old World monkeys and apes.