Notharctus
| Notharctus Temporal range: Early Eocene–Middle Eocene |
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| Notharctus tenebrosus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | †Notharctidae |
| Subfamily: | †Notharctinae |
| Genus: | †Notharctus Leidy, 1870 |
| Species | |
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†Notharctus pugnax |
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Notharctus was an early primate that inhabited Europe and North America 50 million years ago.[citation needed] Modern lemurs evolved from primates similar to this genus.
The body form of Notharctus is similar to that of modern lemurs. Unlike lemurs, however, Notharctus had a shorter face and forward-facing eyes surrounded by an enclosed circle of bone. Its fingers were elongated for clamping onto branches, including the development of a thumb. Its spine is flexible, like the living lemurs, and the animal was about 40 centimetres (16 in) in length, excluding the long tail.[1] It probably ate fruits and insects.
The lineage that includes Notharctus, the Adapiformes, is extinct; the last representative, Sivaladapis, died out during the late Miocene.
There were at least five different Notharctus species. Fossils from at least seven other potential species have also been discovered.
[edit] References
- ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 287. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
[edit] External links
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