Afradapis

Afradapis
Temporal range: Priabonian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: †Adapidae
Genus: †Afradapis
Seiffert et al., 2009
Species:
†A. longicristatus
Binomial name
†Afradapis longicristatus
Seiffert et al., 2009

Afradapis is a genus of adapiform primate that lived during the Late Eocene.[1][2] The only known species, Afradapis longicristatus, was discovered in the Birket Qarun Formation in northern Egypt in 2009.[2] While its geographic distribution is confined to Afro-Arabia, Afradapis belongs to the predominantly European adapiform family Caenopithecinae. This taxonomic placement is supported by recent phylogenetic analyses that recover a close evolutionary relationship between Afradapis and adapiforms, including Darwinius.[3] While adapiforms have been noted for their strepsirrhine-like morphology, no adapiform fossil possesses the unique anatomical traits (i.e., synapomorphies) to establish an ancestor-descent relationship between caenopithecids and living strepsirrhines (i.e., lemurs, lorises, and galagos).[2] It ate leaves and moved around slowly like lorises.[4]

  1. ^ Seiffert, E. R., Boyer, D. M., Fleagle, J. G., Gunnell, G. F., Heesy, C. P., Perry, J. M. G., & Sallam, H. M. (2018). New adapiform primate fossils from the late Eocene of Egypt. Historical Biology, 30(1–2), 204–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2017.1306522
  2. ^ a b c Seiffert, E. R., Perry, J. M. G., Simons, E. L., & Boyer, D. M. (2009). Convergent evolution of anthropoid-like adaptations in Eocene adapiform primates. Nature, 461(7267), 1118–1121. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08429
  3. ^ Boyer, D. M., Seiffert, E. R., & Simons, E. L. (2010). Astragalar morphology of Afradapis, a large adapiform primate from the earliest late Eocene of Egypt. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 143(3), 383–402. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.21328
  4. ^ Fleagle, J.G. (2013). Primate Adaptation and Evolution (3rd ed.). Academic Press. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-123-78633-3. OCLC 820107187.