Notharctus

Extinct genus of primates From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Notharctus is a genus of adapiform primate that lived in North America and Europe during the early to middle Eocene.[1]

N. tenebrosus (left) compared to Plesiadapis cookei (right), a plesiadapiform. Both come from Eocene Wyoming, though the latter is slightly geologically older (Museum of Natural Sciences, Brussels).
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Primates
Suborder:Strepsirrhini
Quick facts Scientific classification, Species ...
Notharctus
Temporal range: Early-Mid Eocene (Wasatchian-Uintan)
~50.3–40.4 Ma
Notharctus tenebrosus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: Notharctidae
Subfamily: Notharctinae
Genus: Notharctus
Leidy, 1870
Species
Synonyms
  • Hipposyus Leidy 1872
  • Limnotherium Marsh 1871
  • Telmalestes Marsh 1872
  • Thinolestes Marsh 1872
  • Tomitherium Cope 1872
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The body form of Notharctus is similar to that of modern rats. Its fingers were elongated for clamping onto branches, including the development of a thumb. Its spine is flexible and the animal was about 40 centimetres (16 in) in length, excluding the long tail.[2]

There were at least four different Notharctus species.[1] Fossils from at least seven other potential species have also been discovered.[citation needed]

N. osborni skull

References

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