Karanisia
| Karanisia Temporal range: Late Middle Eocene
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| Genus: | †Karanisia Seiffert et al, 2003
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†K. arenula | |
Karanisia is an extinct genus of lorisid primate and is represented by two species, K. clarki[1][2] and K. arenula.[3]
K. clarki was described in 2003 from isolated teeth and jaw fragments found in Late Middle Eocene (c. 40 million years ago) sediments of the Birket Qarun Formation in the Egyptian Faiyum.[4][5] The specimens indicate the presence of a toothcomb, making it the earliest fossil primate to undisputably bear this trait, which is unique to Malagasy lemurs in extant primates. This fossil, along with recently discovered toothcomb-bearing Bugtilemur mathesoni (2001) of the Oligocene found in the Chitarwata Formation of Pakistan,[6] has added complications to the puzzle of lemur origins.[5]
In 2010 a second species, K. arenula, was described in the journal Nature from Late Middle Eocene rocks in Libya.[3]
References
- ^ "Karanisia". The Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
- ^ "Karanisia clarki". ZipCodeZoo.com. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
- ^ a b Jaeger, Jean-Jacques (2010). "Late middle Eocene epoch of Libya yields earliest known radiation of African anthropoids". Nature. 467: 1095–1098. doi:10.1038/nature09425.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Seiffert, E. R. (2003). "Fossil evidence for an ancient divergence of lorises and galagos". Nature. 422 (6930): 421–424. doi:10.1038/nature01489. PMID 12660781.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Gould, Lisa and Sauther, Michelle L., ed. (2006). Lemurs: Ecology and Adaptation (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects) (1 ed.). Springer. p. 7–8. ISBN 038734585X.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - ^ "Bugtilemur mathesoni". The Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
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