New light on rise of mammals

The ancestor of all primates likely lived alongside large dinosaurs

February 27, 2021 08:38 pm | Updated 09:41 pm IST

Image for representative purposes only

Image for representative purposes only

Scientists have documented the earliest-known fossil evidence of primates, an advance which sheds light on how life on land recovered after the extinction event 66 million years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs and led to the rise of mammals.

The researchers, including those from the University of Washington in the US, analysed several fossils of Purgatorius – the oldest genus in a group of the earliest-known primates called plesiadapiforms.

Ancient mammals

According to the study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, these ancient mammals were small-bodied and ate specialised diets of insects and fruits that varied by species.

“This discovery is exciting because it represents the oldest dated occurrence of archaic primates in the fossil record,” said Stephen Chester, co-leader of the study from Brooklyn College in the U.S.

“It adds to our understanding of how the earliest primates separated themselves from their competitors following the demise of the dinosaurs,” Chester said.

The scientists analysed fossilised teeth found in the Hell Creek area of northeastern Montana in the U.S. which are now part of the collections at the University of California Museum of Paleontology.

Mass extinction event

They are estimated to be 65.9 million years old, about 1,05,000 to 1,39,000 years after the mass extinction event.

Based on the age of the fossils, the scientists said the ancestor of all primates, including the plesiadapiforms and modern day primates such as lemurs, monkeys and apes, likely lived alongside large dinosaurs.

“It's mind blowing to think of our earliest archaic primate ancestors,” said study co-author Wilson Mantilla, a University of Washington (UW) professor of biology.

First to diversify

“They were some of the first mammals to diversify in this new post-mass extinction world, taking advantage of the fruits and insects up in the forest canopy,” Mantilla said.

The fossils, according to the researchers, include two species of PurgatoriusPurgatorius janisae, and a new species described by the team named Purgatorius mckeeveri.

They said three of the teeth found have distinct features compared to any previously known Purgatorius species and led to the description of the new species.

“This was a really cool study to be a part of, particularly because it provides further evidence that the earliest primates originated before the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. They became highly abundant within a million years after that extinction,” said study co-author Brody Hovatter, a UW graduate student.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.