Another Ancient Primate Lineage Sailed to South America

[Judi Lynn]

A new fossil discovery indicates a second primate group also traversed the Atlantic millions of years ago on a raft of vegetation.

Lisa Winter
Apr 10, 2020

With nothing but a floating patch of vegetation and the wind at their backs, a prehistoric primate lineage crossed the Atlantic from Africa to South America millions of years ago, according to a study published April 9 in Science. The new evidence pointing to this accidental migration builds on a previous discovery supporting the idea that another primate group had done the same thing.

In 2015, scientists announced the recovery of primate teeth from animals that lived 36 million years ago in the Peruvian Amazon basin believed to have been the ancestors of New World monkeys. With no fossil evidence of these primates in Europe, North America, or even Antarctica, it appears they did not take the scenic route from Africa, but rather, a more direct path across the sea.

Now, four fossilized molars dating back 32–35 million years ago have been found in Peru near the same site and hint that there was a second set of primates to sail across the Atlantic. These ancient primates, known as Ucayalipithecus perdita, likely came from Africa.

They appear to be close relatives of parapithecids, primates with an extensive fossil record in Egypt and other parts of Northern Africa dating back 56 million years. While descendants of the previously discovered primates have thrived, those of U. perdita are all extinct.

More:
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/another-ancient-primate-lineage-sailed-to-south-america-67408

[underpants]

1. Thanks to evolution they learned how to fly thus saving time

[Judi Lynn]

4. Wonders never cease. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

2. Prehistoric monkeys rafted from Africa to South America on floating islands of vegetation, study cla

Prehistoric monkeys rafted from Africa to South America on floating islands of vegetation, study claims
Scientists say ‘remarkable’ journey may have occurred about 34 million years ago

Conrad Duncan @theconradduncan
3 hours ago



The monkeys are thought to have been similar in size to some marmosets which are found in South America today ( Getty Images )

A species of now-extinct monkeys made a “remarkable” journey across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to South America on a natural raft about 34 million years ago, according to a study of fossilised teeth.

It is thought that the prehistoric monkeys (Ucayalipithecus perdita) made a journey of more than 900 miles — when the two continents were much closer together — on floating islands of vegetation that broke off from coastlines.

Professor Erik Seiffert, the lead author of the study, said the trip would have been “extremely difficult” but easier for the small monkeys than it would have been for other animals.

Very small animals the size of Ucayalipithecus would be at an advantage over larger mammals in such a situation, because they would have needed less of the food and water that their raft of vegetation could have provided,” Professor Seiffert, from the University of Southern California, told CNN.

More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/prehistoric-monkeys-raft-africa-south-america-atlantic-ocean-erik-seiffert-a9460096.html

[abqtommy]

3. I've also read that Australia was populated by hominids that crossed a minimum of 40 miles

of open water. What adventurous forebears we have!

"The continental coastline extended much further out into the Timor Sea, and Australia and New Guinea formed a single landmass (known as Sahul), connected by an extensive land bridge across the Arafura Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait. Nevertheless, the sea still presented a major obstacle so it is theorised that these ancestral people reached Australia by island hopping.[3] Two routes have been proposed. One follows an island chain between Sulawesi and New Guinea and the other reaches North Western Australia via Timor.[4] Rupert Gerritsen has suggested an alternative theory, involving accidental colonisation as a result of tsunamis.[5] The journey still required sea travel however, making them amongst the world's earlier mariners."

more at link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistory_of_Australia