Evolution: early mammal primate (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, August 16, 2016, 01:45 (3022 days ago) @ David Turell

Look at the picture. The femur looks very like ours:-https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160815134827.htm-" cache of exquisitely preserved bones, found in a coal mine in the state of Gujarat, India, appear to be the most primitive primate bones yet discovered, according to a new analysis. Their assessment of the bones, belonging to ancient, rat-sized, tree-dwelling primates, bolsters the controversial idea that primates native to what is now India played an important role in the very early evolution of primates. -***-"Their assessment of the bones, belonging to ancient, rat-sized, tree-dwelling primates, bolsters the controversial idea that primates native to what is now India played an important role in the very early evolution of primates, mammals that include humans, apes and monkeys.-***-"The newly discovered group of 25 tiny bones, all from somewhere below the neck of the animals, are younger -- some 54.5 million years old -- but considerably more primitive than the oldest known primate fossil, Teilhardina, which first appears in deposits at the beginning of the Eocene, almost 56 million years old. They are also more primitive than a relatively complete skeleton of the primate Archicebus, found recently in China and dated to about 55 million years ago.-***-"Rose says there are several possible scenarios to explain what they've suggested, but all his team can say with high confidence now is that the tiny primates occupied equatorial India prior to its collision with Asia.-"Even though the researchers don't have enough bones to reconstruct a whole skeleton, the bones weren't embedded in rock so they could be thoroughly examined from every angle, providing insights into the evolution of primate anatomy.-"Their analysis is that the Gujarat primates were adapted for climbing the tall dipterocarp trees of ancient rainforests but were less specialized than present-day leaping lemurs or slow-climbing lorises. Their limbs and joints suggest more generalized climbing, as in present-day mouse lemurs and dwarf lemurs.-***-"Previously discovered teeth and jaws of these tiny animals suggest that these primates were also close to mouse lemurs and dwarf lemurs in size, about 150 to 300 grams in weight, or 0.5 pounds. Considered together with their generalized anatomy, the small size of the Gujarat primates is likely another primitive trait, with future primates tending to increase in size."-Comment: What I find fascinating is how alike those bones are to current anatomy. Looks like pre-planning