Fossils of Unknown Extinct Primate Species Found in China

Fossils of Lemur-like extinct primates found in China shed some light in the diversification process of primate evolution in Asia and Africa.
(Photo : Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

A team of international scientists have uncovered a spectacular cache of fossils from unknown extinct primate species in China, helping researchers better understand the course of primate, and our very own evolution.

The unearthed fossils most likely belong to six new species of primates. Four of them are lemur-like members of the strepsrrhine lineage, while the other two belongs to an ancestor of tarsier and anthropoids, human-like monkeys.
The discovery, published in the journal Science, suggest that climate change during Oligocene epoch played a crucial role in the diversification of primates in Asia and Africa. The changing weather during that time may cause primates in Asia to evolve differently from primates in Africa, and may also be at fault for the extinction of some primate species.
According to the report from Washington Post, many scientists believe that ancient primates were able to cross the waters dividing Asia and Africa by drifting in rafts made of matted dirt and vegetation, or fallen trees.read more