Primates

Primates is an order of mammals, which is further divided into the strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and lorisids; and the haplorhines, which include tarsiers and simians. Primates arose 74–63 million years ago first from small terrestrial mammals, which adapted for life in tropical forests: many primate characteristics represent adaptations to the challenging environment among tree tops, including large brain sizes, binocular vision, color vision, vocalizations, shoulder girdles allowing a large degree of movement in the upper limbs, and opposable thumbs that enable better grasping and dexterity. Primates range in size from Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, which weighs 30 g (1 oz), to the eastern gorilla, weighing over 200 kg (440 lb). There are 376–524 species of living primates, depending on which classification is used. New primate species continue to be discovered: over 25 species were described in the 2000s, 36 in the 2010s, and six in the 2020s.

Primates

Alex Dunkel ( Maky ) · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Also called
primatePBDB
Sits inside
EuarchontaPBDB
Diet
omnivorePBDB
Life habit
arborealPBDB
Motility
actively mobilePBDB, for Osteichthyes
Environment
terrestrialPBDB, for Eutheria

Time the record covers

At least 63 million years on record.

The record covers at least 63.4 Mya to 11.7 ka. No occurrence read is dated outside 66 Mya to 0 Mya.

Late Cretaceous — about 0 of 5102 occurrencesPaleocene — about 731 of 5102 occurrencesPaleoceneEocene — about 2419 of 5102 occurrencesEoceneOligocene — about 91 of 5102 occurrencesOligoceneMiocene — about 391 of 5102 occurrencesMiocenePliocene — about 337 of 5102 occurrencesPleistocene — about 971 of 5102 occurrences67–65 Mya — about 6 occurrences65–63 Mya — about 32 occurrences63–61 Mya — about 105 occurrences61–58 Mya — about 263 occurrences58–56 Mya — about 311 occurrences56–54 Mya — about 598 occurrences54–52 Mya — about 610 occurrences52–49 Mya — about 338 occurrences49–47 Mya — about 243 occurrences47–45 Mya — about 170 occurrences45–43 Mya — about 107 occurrences43–40 Mya — about 120 occurrences40–38 Mya — about 109 occurrences38–36 Mya — about 77 occurrences36–34 Mya — about 64 occurrences34–31 Mya — about 22 occurrences31–29 Mya — about 23 occurrences29–27 Mya — about 26 occurrences27–25 Mya — about 13 occurrences25–22 Mya — about 8 occurrences22–20 Mya — about 14 occurrences20–18 Mya — about 38 occurrences18–16 Mya — about 68 occurrences16–13 Mya — about 82 occurrences13–11 Mya — about 67 occurrences11–9.0 Mya — about 41 occurrences9.0–6.7 Mya — about 45 occurrences6.7–4.5 Mya — about 99 occurrences4.5–2.2 Mya — about 467 occurrences2.2–0 Mya — about 937 occurrences63.4 Mya11.7 ka67 Mya0 Mya

5,102 occurrences of Primates on record, most of them in the Eocene. The Paleobiology Database records this as a living group. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

5,102 occurrences

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. More on what this infers.

Found in

275 formations

Willwood — 44.78°N, 108.97°WWillwood — 44.30°N, 109.00°WWillwood — 43.95°N, 107.57°WWillwood — 44.00°N, 108.00°WWillwood — 44.50°N, 108.00°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.54°WWillwood — 44.59°N, 108.41°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 109.93°WWillwood — 44.51°N, 108.68°WWillwood — 44.80°N, 109.10°WWillwood — 44.59°N, 108.86°WWillwood — 44.42°N, 108.69°WWillwood — 44.44°N, 108.63°WWillwood — 44.56°N, 108.70°WWillwood — 44.59°N, 108.62°WWillwood — 44.49°N, 108.54°WWillwood — 44.53°N, 108.43°WWillwood — 44.49°N, 108.81°WWillwood — 44.60°N, 108.32°WWillwood — 44.53°N, 108.32°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.72°WWillwood — 44.52°N, 108.57°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.90°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.83°WWillwood — 44.64°N, 108.76°WWillwood — 44.41°N, 108.79°WWillwood — 44.33°N, 108.77°WWillwood — 44.35°N, 108.75°WWillwood — 44.76°N, 108.88°WWillwood — 44.23°N, 108.42°WWillwood — 44.18°N, 108.47°WWillwood — 44.28°N, 108.03°WWillwood — 44.33°N, 108.27°WWillwood — 44.30°N, 108.07°WWillwood — 44.15°N, 107.87°WWillwood — 44.15°N, 107.87°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.54°WWillwood — 43.99°N, 107.72°WFort Union — 47.60°N, 107.00°WFort Union — 46.05°N, 104.48°WFort Union — 45.80°N, 104.40°WFort Union — 41.70°N, 109.00°WFort Union — 47.10°N, 104.80°WFort Union — 41.30°N, 107.74°WFort Union — 43.85°N, 108.35°WFort Union — 45.80°N, 109.80°WFort Union — 47.80°N, 106.10°WFort Union — 46.90°N, 101.50°WFort Union — 46.90°N, 103.90°WFort Union — 44.30°N, 109.00°WFort Union — 45.80°N, 110.50°WFort Union — 44.72°N, 108.38°WFort Union — 44.68°N, 108.32°WFort Union — 45.20°N, 109.00°WFort Union — 44.89°N, 108.93°WFort Union — 43.20°N, 107.10°WFort Union — 45.10°N, 106.90°WFort Union — 45.40°N, 105.60°WFort Union — 43.45°N, 109.16°WFort Union — 41.92°N, 108.56°WFort Union — 44.50°N, 108.00°WFort Union — 44.72°N, 108.62°WFort Union — 43.20°N, 108.20°WFort Union — 44.67°N, 108.46°WFort Union — 39.27°N, 108.18°WFort Union — 41.77°N, 108.61°WFort Union — 44.51°N, 108.88°WFort Union — 44.53°N, 108.96°WFort Union — 44.83°N, 108.82°WFort Union — 44.05°N, 109.00°WFort Union — 44.88°N, 109.12°WFort Union — 44.85°N, 108.77°WFort Union — 44.96°N, 109.01°WFort Union — 44.90°N, 109.01°WFort Union — 44.85°N, 108.74°WFort Union — 44.85°N, 108.89°WFort Union — 47.60°N, 106.20°WFort Union — 41.68°N, 107.52°WFort Union — 41.56°N, 108.63°WBridger — 42.70°N, 110.10°WBridger — 41.50°N, 110.60°WBridger — 41.70°N, 109.00°WBridger — 41.20°N, 110.50°WBridger — 41.22°N, 109.72°WBridger — 41.80°N, 110.70°WBridger — 42.42°N, 109.35°WBridger — 41.77°N, 110.33°WBridger — 41.65°N, 110.92°WBridger — 42.37°N, 108.91°WBridger — 41.87°N, 109.60°WBridger — 41.08°N, 110.10°WBridger — 41.37°N, 109.82°WBridger — 41.32°N, 110.38°WBridger — 41.28°N, 110.03°WShungura — 5.14°N, 36.03°EShungura — 5.05°N, 36.03°EShungura — 5.15°N, 36.04°EShungura — 5.09°N, 36.06°EWasatch — 41.80°N, 110.70°WWasatch — 41.27°N, 110.33°WWasatch — 40.60°N, 108.10°WWasatch — 41.70°N, 109.00°WWasatch — 42.70°N, 110.10°WWasatch — 41.80°N, 107.00°WWasatch — 41.20°N, 110.50°WWasatch — 43.20°N, 108.20°WWasatch — 42.07°N, 109.10°WWasatch — 41.75°N, 108.00°WWasatch — 42.37°N, 108.91°WWasatch — 42.53°N, 108.72°WWasatch — 42.98°N, 110.12°WWasatch — 42.24°N, 110.19°WWasatch — 41.86°N, 110.78°WWasatch — 41.83°N, 110.75°WWasatch — 41.85°N, 110.75°WWasatch — 41.53°N, 108.56°WKoobi Fora — 3.90°N, 36.24°EKoobi Fora — 3.98°N, 36.32°EKoobi Fora — 3.86°N, 36.26°EKoobi Fora — 4.07°N, 36.37°EKoobi Fora — 3.87°N, 36.37°EKoobi Fora — 4.31°N, 36.28°EKoobi Fora — 4.23°N, 36.43°EKoobi Fora — 3.95°N, 36.42°EKoobi Fora — 3.92°N, 36.45°EKoobi Fora — 4.31°N, 36.22°EKoobi Fora — 4.06°N, 36.33°EKoobi Fora — 3.59°N, 36.24°EKoobi Fora — 3.77°N, 36.39°EKoobi Fora — 4.24°N, 36.26°EKoobi Fora — 3.78°N, 36.33°EWind River — 44.00°N, 106.60°WWind River — 43.20°N, 107.10°WWind River — 43.20°N, 108.20°WWind River — 43.20°N, 107.33°WWind River — 41.02°N, 109.68°WFriars — 32.90°N, 117.10°WFriars — 32.78°N, 117.07°WDeBeque — 40.00°N, 107.90°WDeBeque — 39.20°N, 108.20°WDeBeque — 39.27°N, 108.18°WDeBeque — 39.70°N, 107.60°WPaskapoo — 51.00°N, 114.10°WPaskapoo — 51.90°N, 113.30°WPaskapoo — 53.23°N, 114.70°WPaskapoo — 52.40°N, 113.80°WPaskapoo — 52.20°N, 113.70°WPaskapoo — 51.18°N, 114.43°WPaskapoo — 52.60°N, 114.10°WPaskapoo — 52.20°N, 113.60°WPaskapoo — 51.50°N, 112.30°WPaskapoo — 52.35°N, 113.77°WPaskapoo — 54.80°N, 115.46°WPaskapoo — 51.05°N, 114.15°WPaskapoo — 51.10°N, 114.50°WVogel River Series — 3.22°S, 35.22°EVogel River Series — 3.01°S, 35.20°EVogel River Series — 3.25°S, 35.20°EVogel River Series — 3.13°S, 35.13°ENachukui — 3.88°N, 35.71°ENachukui — 4.25°N, 35.79°ENachukui — 3.08°N, 35.83°ENachukui — 4.11°N, 35.73°ENachukui — 4.15°N, 35.74°ENachukui — 4.17°N, 35.77°ENachukui — 4.05°N, 35.73°ENachukui — 3.87°N, 35.76°ENachukui — 2.90°N, 36.05°EMaboko — 0.17°N, 34.62°EMaboko — 0.13°S, 34.61°EMaboko — 0.15°N, 34.62°E"Wasatch" — 44.50°N, 108.00°W"Wasatch" — 44.00°N, 106.60°WHadar — 11.13°N, 40.59°EHadar — 11.17°N, 40.58°EHadar — 11.07°N, 40.77°EHadar — 11.00°N, 40.50°EJebel Qatrani — 29.45°N, 30.58°EJebel Qatrani — 29.50°N, 30.50°EOlduvai — 2.97°S, 35.32°EOlduvai — 2.98°S, 34.32°EOlduvai — 2.98°S, 35.37°EOlduvai — 2.98°S, 32.33°EHuerfano — 37.80°N, 105.10°WGreen River — 40.24°N, 109.13°WGreen River — 41.80°N, 110.70°WGreen River — 41.20°N, 110.50°WGreen River — 42.70°N, 110.10°WGreen River — 41.70°N, 109.00°WGreen River — 42.45°N, 108.60°WGreen River — 40.20°N, 109.90°WAycross — 43.70°N, 108.70°WAycross — 43.90°N, 110.80°WAycross — 44.30°N, 109.00°WSwartkrans — 26.02°S, 27.72°ESan Jose — 36.50°N, 107.00°WSan Jose — 35.70°N, 107.00°WUinta — 40.08°N, 109.27°WUinta — 40.17°N, 109.93°WUinta — 40.07°N, 109.70°WUinta — 40.20°N, 109.30°WPinturas — 46.96°S, 70.61°WPinturas — 47.03°S, 70.67°WPinturas — 47.17°S, 70.21°W

Loading coastlines…

The named rock units Primates has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. 251 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 1,086 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Primates and its relatives

Eocene

Where Primates and its relatives were recorded in the Eocene.

Found in the same rock

1,068 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records at least 868 sites for Primates, and this reads 240 of them. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

1,060 references

Each of the 5,102 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. 1,048 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content2

Picture of Primates

Credit
Alex Dunkel ( Maky )
Licence
CC BY 3.0
Commercial use
the licence allows it

CT scan

Licence
not stated by the source
Commercial use
cannot be read from the licence given — check the record
Specimen
Primates incert. sed. · dpc:2435

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

What may have been alongside itEuarchonta through timeFormations of the EoceneThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. Linnaeus 1758