Altiatlasius
Encyclopedia
Altiatlasius was a primate
from the Paleocene
. Its true taxonomic position remains controversial, it has been suggested that it should belong to the family Toliapinidae, the order Plesiadapiformes
or that it should be recognized as a euprimate
. If it were recognized as a true primate, this would make it the oldest known primate species.
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
from the Paleocene
Paleocene
The Paleocene or Palaeocene, the "early recent", is a geologic epoch that lasted from about . It is the first epoch of the Palaeogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era...
. Its true taxonomic position remains controversial, it has been suggested that it should belong to the family Toliapinidae, the order Plesiadapiformes
Plesiadapiformes
Plesiadapiformes is an extinct order of mammals. It is either closely related to the primates or a precursor to them. Many are too derived to be ancestral to primates, but the earliest Plesiadapiformes have teeth that are strongly indicative of a common ancestor...
or that it should be recognized as a euprimate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
. If it were recognized as a true primate, this would make it the oldest known primate species.
Sources
- The Rise of Placental Mammals Edited by Kenneth D Rose and J. David Archibald, Page 132.