Studies on the earliest primates. Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 77, article 4.

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Date

1940

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

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Publisher

New York : The American Museum of Natural History

DOI

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Abstract

"This paper consists of a series of eight studies on Paleocene and Eocene fossil primates. The first describes Jepsenella, new genus, type J. praepropera, new species, from the Middle Paleocene of Montana, referred to the Apatemyidae, of which it is the oldest known member. The second describes Loveina, new genus, type L. zephyri, new species, from the Lower Eocene of Wyoming, an anaptomorphid allied to Omomys and Washakius. The third proposes and defines the new genus Teilhardina for Omomys belgicus Teilhard, 1927, from the Lower Eocene of Belgium, pointing out that this is quite distinct from, although allied to, Omomys and that it appears to be the most generalized known tarsioid. In the fourth study, a partial skeleton referred to Hemiacodon from the Middle Eocene of Wyoming is described The skeleton of this supposed tarsioid is found to be unique in several respects and to resemble the lemuroids at least as much as the true tarsioids, and the possible bearings of this unexpected fact on primate history are discussed. The fifth divides the large family Anaptomorphidae into five subfamilies, Omomyinae, Paromomyinae, Anaptomorphinae, Necrolemurinae and Pseudolorisinae, defining each and discussing them briefly. The sixth study is devoted to the relationships of the five families of Paleocene and Eocene primates to each other and to the Primates in general. Pronycticebus, Caenopithecus and Anchomomys are referred to the lemuriform family Adapidae in addition to the genera commonly placed there. The Plesiadapidae are held to be definitely lemuroid and not specially related to Daubentonia. The Apatemyidae may not be primates at all, but there is at present no other less doubtful place to put them. The Carpolestidae appear to be a peculiarly aberrant offshoot of the proto-primate and probably prototarsioid stock. The usual view that the Anaptomorphidae are tarsioids is accepted, but the contents of the family are somewhat modified and it is pointed out that it is heterogeneous and may now include some non-tarsioid genera. In the seventh study knowledge of early primate distribution is summarized and the occurrences of each of the 55 genera tentatively accepted as valid are given in tabular form. The last, eighth, section gives a selected bibliography of the subject and an alphabetical list of valid genera with references by which the important literature on each can readily be found"--P. 185.

Description

p. 185-212 : ill. ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-211) and index.
A new apatemyid -- A new American Lower Eocene anaptomorphid -- New designation for a European anaptomorphid -- Skeletal remains referred to Hemiacodon -- Classification of the Anaptomorphidae -- Relationships of Paleocene and Eocene primates -- Distribution of Paleocene and Eocene primates -- Indexed bibliography of Paleocene and Eocene primates.

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