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Plesiadapiformes

Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience

An artistic reconstruction of Plesiadapis, an early mammal from the prehistoric era.

Plesiadapiformes ("Adapid-like" or "near Adapiformes") is an extinct group of early mammals that lived long ago. They are part of a group called pan-primates, which are related to primates like monkeys and apes. Together with another group called Dermoptera, they form a larger group known as Primatomorpha.

The plesiadapiform Plesiadapis cookei (right), compared to Notharctus tenebrosus (left), an early crown primate. Both come from Eocene Wyoming, though the former is slightly geologically older.

Plesiadapiformes first appeared in the fossil record between 65 and 55 million years ago. Many of them went extinct by the start of the Eocene epoch. One interesting fact is that they may have been the first mammals to have finger nails instead of claws. Scientists think some Plesiadapiformes could have glided, like modern colugos, based on the shape of their fingers.

Over time, scientists have discussed how Plesiadapiformes fit into the family tree of life. Some think modern primates evolved from this group, meaning Plesiadapiformes are not truly extinct because their descendants live today. Others believe Plesiadapiformes are more closely related to Dermoptera. These discussions help scientists learn about how early mammals evolved into the primates we see today.

Images

Scientific illustration of Anagale gobiensis, an extinct mammal from the early Oligocene period, showing what this ancient relative of rodents and lagomorphs might have looked like.
Illustration of a tree shrew, a small mammal native to Southeast Asia.
An illustration of a flying fox (Cynocephalus volans), a type of fruit bat known for its ability to glide through the air.
An artist's illustration of Purgatorius unio, one of the earliest known primates from ancient North America.

Related articles

Eocene

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Plesiadapiformes, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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