Question

A new fossil called Darwinius was discovered in Germany. It lived around 47 mya. It had a small brain, short snout, and postorbital bar. Its diet probably included a lot of fruit and leaves. It did not have a dental comb. It had nails instead of claws and was probably an arboreal quadruped. Researchers disagree about whether the fossil is more similar to living haplorhines (the group that includes tarsiers, Old and New World monkeys, apes, hominins) or more similar to strepsirrhines (lemurs, lorises)

Required:
a. Describe two features that the fossil shares in common with living haplorhines.
b. Describe two features that the fossil shares in common with living strepsirrhines.

Answer 1

Explanations:

Darwinius is also known as Ida. some scientists have grouped it to be a member of the adapiforms. it's remains were unearthed in Germany. it is regarded as a female because it's skeleton lacks baculum.

Instead of claws darwinius have nails. they could be classified as transitional fossils due to its links with living strepsirrhines and also living haplorhines

similarities with haplorhines:

1. they share similar body structure and tail, also their nails are similar

2. there feeding is almost the same in terms of diet they are carnivores.

similarities with strepsirrhines:

1. they are both mammals

2. they have close body structure and also almost same tail