The Origins of the Primate Order

Geological Time Scale

Eras Periods Epochs

Mesozoic Cretaceous Maastrichian 66 mya

Cenozoic Paleogene Paleocene

(Early Tertiary) Eocene

Oligocene Neogene Miocene 23 mya

(Late Tertiary) Pliocene

Pleistocene

Mesozoic Era 245-66 mya Cretaceous Period 144 mya - 66 mya

Cenozoic Era 66 mya-present Tertiary Subera 66 - 5.2 mya; Paleocene Epoch 66 mya – 56.5 mya

Fig. 1 Single tree from parsimony analysis of combined molecular and phenomic data mapped onto the stratigraphic record (tables S2 and S3).

M A O'Leary et al. Science 2013;339:662-667

Published by AAAS

Fig. 2 Reconstructions of the phenotype of the hypothetical placental ancestor derived from the combined data matrix optimized onto the tree in Fig. 1.

M A O'Leary et al. Science 2013;339:662-667

Published by AAAS

Cladogram of Primate Evolution during the Cenozoic Era

Paleocene Primates

Carpolestes simpsoni, found in the Clark’s Fork Basin, Wyoming. Frugivore, with a nail-tipped digit. Weight: 4 oz.

• Altiatlasius koulchii, found in 1990 in Morocco. Date: 56 mya. Thought by Chris Beard to be an early anthropoid.