Omomyidae

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Omomyidae
Skull of Anaptomorphus

Skull of Anaptomorphus

Temporal occurrence
Paleocene to Oligocene
60.2 to 28.4 million years
Locations
Systematics
Euarchontoglires
Euarchonta
Primates (Primates)
Dry- nosed primates (Haplorrhini)
Tarsiiformes
Omomyidae
Scientific name
Omomyidae
Trouessart , 1879

Omomyidae is a very species-rich family of primates that flourished in the Eocene and became extinct in the early Oligocene . Fossils are known from Europe , Asia and North America .

The Omomyids were related to the Koboldmakis and are usually placed in the same partial order (Tarsiiformes). They are considered to be the earliest representatives of the dry-nosed primates that have been documented by fossils, but are neither ancestors of the New World monkeys nor the Old World monkeys , but together with the Koboldmakis represent a specialized branch.

Most of the omomyids were smaller than the adapiformes living at the same time . They reached an average weight of 50 to 500 g, only a few species reached a weight of 1.0 to 2.5 kg. Omomyids are usually divided into three subfamilies. These are, on the one hand, the Anaptomorphinae and Omomyinae found mainly in North America and, on the other hand, the Microchoerinae known exclusively from Europe .

The best known genus of the family is Necrolemur , the remains of which have been found in France and Germany . The genus Necrolemur is characterized by large eyes, strong hind legs and a long tail, characteristics that can also be found in recent goblin tarsiers, which are excellent jumpers.

teeth

Based on the morphology of the dentition, it is assumed that the Omomyids, just like recent tarsier, fed on insects. With the exception of the front teeth, the teeth of the Omomyids are similar to those of the Koboldmakis living today. The canines are usually reduced and the front incisors are often enlarged, while in tarsier the situation is reversed. The most primitive Omomyids belong to the Holarctic genus Teilhardina and the North American genus Steinius . They had the same lower tooth formula (2.1.4.3) as the early Adapiformes and the teeth show only subtle differences from the primitive adapoid genus Donrussellia , which suggests a close common ancestry.

Internal system

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Kenneth D. Rose: The beginning of the age of mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2006, ISBN 0-8018-8472-1 , p. 188.

Web links

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