Topic: Biology

Scientists used fossil data to discover that early primates lived in cold and dry regions, not warm tropical forests. This changes our understanding of primate evolution.

Most people imagine our early primate ancestors swinging through lush tropical forests. But recent research shows that they were braving the cold.

As an ecologist who has studied chimpanzees and lemurs in the field, I am fascinated by the environments that shaped our primate ancestors. These new findings overturn decades of assumptions about how – and where – our lineage began.

The study maps the geographic origins of our primate ancestors and the historical climate at those locations. The results are surprising: rather than evolving in warm tropical environments as scientists previously thought, it seems early primates lived in cold and dry regions.

These environmental challenges are likely to have been crucial in pushing our ancestors to adapt, evolve and spread to other regions. It took millions of years before primates colonized the tropics, the study shows.

One of the earliest known primates was Teilhardina, a tiny tree dweller weighing just 28 grams – similar to the smallest primate alive today, Madame Berthae's mouse lemur. Being so small, Teilhardina had to have a high-calorie diet of fruit, gum and insects.

Fossils suggest Teilhardina differed from other mammals of the time as it had fingernails rather than claws, which helped it grasp branches and handle food – a key characteristic of primates to this day.

Teilhardina appeared around 56 million years ago (about 10 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs) and species dispersed rapidly from their origin in North America across Europe and China.

The study demonstrates the value of studying extinct animals and the environment they lived in. If we are to conserve primate species today, we need to know how they are threatened and how they will react to those threats.

Why It Matters

Understanding where our primate ancestors evolved can help us better protect their modern-day relatives and the environments they inhabit.

Key Facts

• Early primates likely lived in cold and dry regions, not warm tropical forests.
• Teilhardina was one of the earliest known primates, weighing just 28 grams.
• It took millions of years for primates to colonize the tropics.
• The study shows that early primates dispersed rapidly from their origin in North America across Europe and China.

Key Terms

Paleoclimates

The climate conditions of ancient times, studied through fossil data

Implications

Understanding where our primate ancestors evolved can help us better protect their modern-day relatives and the environments they inhabit.