Notharctus

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Notharctus
Temporal range: Early-Mid Eocene (Wasatchian-Uintan)
~50.3–40.4  Ma
Notharctus tenebrosus AMNH.jpg
Notharctus tenebrosus
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
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
  • TelmalestesMarsh 1872
  • Thinolestes Marsh 1872
  • Tomitherium Cope 1872

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

Contents

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 ]

Notharctus osborni skull Notharctus osborni.JPG
Notharctus osborni skull

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References

  1. 1 2 Gebo 2002, p. 25.
  2. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 287. ISBN   1-84028-152-9.

Bibliography