Quaternary Fossil Primates

Fossil primates are found alongside other fossils that include plants and animals. These fossils provide helpful information on which environment these organisms were alive in and where they died. 

The plesiadapiforms is the oldest known fossil belonging to the genus Purgatorius. It is also said that the earliest primates descended from the small, insectivorous and nocturnal mammals that fed on insects and fruits to mammals having large brains, using hands and having complex behavioural patterns. 

The first primate originated around 55 million years ago, and it also might have developed far behind in the Cretaceous period itself. Many fossil primates have been found in South America and regions like Panama and the Caribbean. 

Fossil Primates in Quaternary Period

The Quaternary period is the current period and the most recent period of the Cenozoic Era. It is a geological period that covers a time frame of the last 2.6 million years up to the current day. The Quaternary and Tertiary periods are combined to form the Cenozoic Era. The Quaternary period is famous for its glacial growth cycles and retreat. 

This period also comprises the extinction of several species, including birds, large mammals, and humans’ spread in the era. The Quaternary period experienced climatic change and the development in spurs that carry the narrative of the Quaternary period. It is called the quaternary period because it is the fourth period in this classifying system of the eras. 

It is essential to study and know about the quaternary period as it involves the evolution of humans, including the present. The quaternary extinction took place mainly because of the climate changes, the unstable population dynamics, vying between species, and the predation of human beings. The quaternary period is divided into two epochs: the Pleistocene and the Holocene. A detailed analysis of the quaternary fossil primates can be found in the tertiary and quaternary fossil primates anthropology UPSC syllabus or reference materials. 

Quaternary Primates Classification

Pre-Pleistocene epoch

The analysis of fossil primates and deposits of the pre-Pleistocene period helps understand the evolution of primates. This epoch succeeded the glacial and interglacial climatic cycles that occurred on Earth. 

Many theories emphasise the origin of primates, and three of those theories have gained appropriate recognition and have been accepted. These theories are based on arboreality, predation and ecology. A sudden evolutionary change occurred with the drastic change in the dietary pattern from eating insects to eating herbivores. 

The clasping hands and feet evolved in early mammals to support the motion and movement of these primates on trees or branches. Another theory developed an alternative idea on the origin of primates that takes us back to the visual adaptations and modifications for hunting prey in arboreal dwellings. 

Palaeocene primates

The characterisation of the Paleocene epoch paved the way for fossil evidence of the existence of the earliest primates. The climatic conditions with the savannas and woodlands were dominant in the geographic domain in the continents of North America and Europe. 

The majority of the fossil primates consisted of teeth and fragments of the jaw. The Paleocene epoch that transitioned from the cretaceous epoch made the appearance of small and primitive insectivorous mammals called the Purgatorius ceratopsid. The fossil evidence proves that various genera of primates existed in North America and Europe. 

Each family has different specifications of fossil evidence left behind, such as the jaws – maxillae and mandibles and the teeth. It is said that the Phenacolemuridae group is the earliest fossil primate but has no fossil evidence related to their existence. The fossil remains of the Plesiadapidae group consisted of a complete skull fossil and the other parts of the skeleton. 

A detailed note on the quaternary fossil primates can be found in the tertiary and quaternary fossil primates anthropology UPSC syllabus or reference material. 

Conclusion

To understand the complexities in primate evolution and its phenomenon, one should be aware of both extant and extinct primate species. It can be said that the majority of the fossil remains are in the form of dental remains. These remains are consistent for both frequent fossil evidence and ancient fossil evidence. A comparative approach to anatomy would help one determine the morphological adaptations and general patterns of diet, locomotive activities, behavioural patterns, and the ancestral primate species’ social patterns that enable the primates to survive the archaic-climatic conditions. Many theories relating to arboreality, predation and ecology are successfully recognised.