Three Previously Unknown Ancient Primates Identified

[Judi Lynn]

August 28, 2018

Biological anthropologists from The University of Texas at Austin have described three new species of fossil primates that were previously unknown to science. All of the new primates were residents of San Diego County at a time when southern California was filled with lush tropical forests.

Since the 1930s, numerous primate fossils have been uncovered in the sandstones and claystones that make up the Friars Formation in San Diego County. Paleontologist Stephen Walsh and fieldworkers from the San Diego Museum of Natural History (SDNHM) built up a large collection of fossil primates from the San Diego area, but Walsh was unable to describe these specimens before his death in 2007.

A decade later, UT Austin graduate student Amy Atwater and anthropology professor Chris Kirk took up the challenge, describing and naming three previously unknown omomyoid primates that lived 42 million to 46 million years ago. The researchers named these new species Ekwiiyemakius walshi, Gunnelltarsius randalli and Brontomomys cerutti.

These findings double the number of known primate genera represented in the Friars Formation and increase the total number of known omomyine primates of that period from 15 to 18.

More:
https://scienceblog.com/503039/three-previously-unknown-ancient-primates-identified/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+scienceblogrssfeed+%28ScienceBlog.com%29

[Nitram]

1. What a fantastic, if difficult, project to have worked on.

This will certainly establish fine reputations for both M. Atwater and Professor Kirk.