Adapids Lecture 3

Question 1

What is interesting about the talar in extant strepsirhines?

Answer 1

The fibular side slopes

Question 2

Is the sloping talus in strepsirhines derived or ancestral?

Answer 2

The condition of the sloping talus is derived in strepsirhines. The haplorhine condition is ancestral.

Question 3

What is the talus like of adapids?

Answer 3

Very similar to strepsirhines in that they had a sloping talofibular facet

Question 4

Describe the fossil /Smilodectes/

Answer 4

Adapiform primate that lived in middle Eocene

1) North American
2) Large (2.1-3 kg)
3) Frugivorous and folivorous
4) arboreal quadruped

Question 5

Describe the fossil /Notharctus venticolus/

Answer 5

Adapiform primate that lived during the middle to late Eocene

1) North American
2) Had two forms of canines –> indicates sexual dimorphism
3) Polygynous social structure
4) Anthropoid-like

Question 6

Describe the fossil Adapis

Answer 6

Adapiform primate from Eocene

1) European
2) Large (1.3-1.7 kg)
3) Diurnal
4) Frugivorous/folivorous

Question 7

What is the latin name for the fossil known as Ida?

Answer 7

Darwinius masillae

Question 8

Describe the fossil /Darwinius masillae/.

Answer 8

Adapiform primate

1) There is only one fossil called Ida (PMO 214.214)
2) Found in a quarry near the village of Messel
3) Lived in the Eocene
4) Considered to be the missing link between streps and tarsiers and anthropoids

Question 9

Define stratigraphy

Answer 9

the branch of geology concerned with the order and relative position of strata and their relationship to the geological timescale.
the analysis of the order and position of layers of archaeological remains.

Question 10

What is L-41?

Answer 10

A site in the Fayum in Egypt

Question 11

Describe the fossil /Plesiopithecus teras/.

Answer 11

Adapiform primate,

1) Found at L-41
2) Late Eocene
3) Has a postorbital bar
4) lacks postorbital closure (non-anthropoid like)
5) Upper molars lack hypocones (non-anthropoid like)

Question 12

Describe the fossil /Afradapis longicristatus/

Answer 12

1) Found in Fayum
2) Approx. 37 mya (Eocene)
3) Has sloping fibular facet (Boyer et al., 2010).

Question 13

Name the fossil in which the earliest toothcomb was found and describe it.

Answer 13

Saharagalago misrensis

1) late- middle Eocene 37.2 to 33.9 Ma
2) Implies early lois-galago split

Question 14

Describe Bugtilemur

Answer 14

1) Only lemur outside of Madagascar
2) Found in Pakistan in the Bugti Hills (hence the name)
3) From the Oligocene (Approx. 35-25 mya)
4) Closely resembles dwarf lemurs
5) elongated, procumbent lower canine (tooth comb?)

Question 15

Maurivaux et al., 2001

Answer 15

Bugtilemur represents the earliest record of Lemuriformes, which hence appear to have already diversified outside of Madagascar at least 30 million years ago.

Question 16

Do Strepsirrhines or haplorhines have a fused frontal bone and fused mandibular sympysis?

Answer 16

Haps have a fused mandibular symphysis and frontal bone

Question 17

Gebo et al., 2001

Answer 17

Anthropoids include the Platyrrhini (New World monkeys) and the Catarrhini (Old World Monkeys and apes)

Question 18

What is the extant strepsirhine condition for cranial blood supply?

Answer 18

They have the stapedial branch of the internal carotid

Though, lorisoids have no internal carotid, they use the ascending pharyngeal instead

Question 19

What is the extant haplorhine condition for cranial blood supply?

Answer 19

They only have the promontory branch

Question 20

What is the difference in the sulcus of streps and haps?

Answer 20

Haps have a central sulcus, whereas streps have a coronolateral sulcus

Question 21

When was the Eocene?

Answer 21

About 54 - 34 mya

Question 22

When was the Oligocene?

Answer 22

About 37 - 25 mya

Question 23

Describe the fossil /Archicebus achilles/

Answer 23

1) Found in Hubei Province in China
2) From the lower Eocene
3) 20-30g approx.
4) Had four premolars
5) Early haplorhine

Question 24

Ni et al., 2013 (1)

Answer 24

[Archicebus achilles was] Small haplorhine primate with rounded braincase; short snout; vertically implanted upper canine (C1); four premolars in each jaw quadrant; long hindlimbs; long feet (especially the metatarsus); and a long tail.

Question 25

Ni et al., 2013 (2)

Answer 25

Archicebus achilles posesses a unique mosaic of haplorhine features. Some resemble anthropoids and others resemble tarsiers. E.g. metatarsal proportions in foot are anthropoid like. Skull, dentition and much of appendicular skeleton resemble tarsiiforms.

Question 26

How do tarsiers and omomyids compare?

Answer 26

1) Tarsiers have a femur designed for vertical clinging, whereas omomyids have one designed for quadrupedal running/leaping
2) Tarisers have a fused tibia-fibula, whereas omomyids are fused or partially fused (like Archicebus achilles)
3) Tarsier tarsals are elongated and omomyid tarsals are usually elongated similar to dwarf lemurs (unlike Archicebus achilles)

Question 27

Describe the fibula of Archicebus achilles and use a reference!

Answer 27

The fibula is straight, robust and closely apposed to the tibia for ∼36% of the length of the distal shaft (Ni et al., 2013)

Question 28

Describe /Necrolemur/

Answer 28

1) Omomyid
2) From the Eocene
3) Tubular ectotympanic
3) pterygoid plates contact the bulla (only seen in /Tarsius/ and /Shoshonius/
4) No postorbital closure

Question 29

Describe Shoshonius

Answer 29

An omomyid from the Eocene

Shares three traits only with Tarsius:

1) Supremeatal foramen
2) Ventrolateral posterior carotid foramen (haplorhine trait)
3) Basioccipital flange (primitive)

Question 30

Why did people orginally think /Plesiopithecus teras/ was an anthropoid not an adapid?

Answer 30

originally suggested it was an anthropoid due to the type specimen mandible having molars that decreased in size posteriorly (as seen in other early anthropoids).