Researchers in China have unveiled one of the oldest and best preserved fossils of an early primate. An international research team reports about this discovery in the science magazine 'Nature' and they speculate that the common ancestor of all primates might have looked similar. This fossil gives new insights to the evolution of primates. It should be noted that this species is probably not the common ancestor of today living
primates, but it might be a close cousin to it. The fossil is about 55 milion years old, mouse sized and probably weighed 20 to 30 grams while it was alive.
The researches have dubbed the species "Archicebus achilles". "Arche" is the old greek word for "beginning", "Cebus" can be translated to "long-tailed monkey". The epithet "Achilles" was chosen because of its unusual heel bone.
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| Drawing of the skeleton |
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| Archicebus achilles - reconstrucion of the fossil Video |
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