Notharctus

Common card · No. 443332

Notharctus is a genus of adapiform primate that lived in North America during the early to middle Eocene. Known from many geologic formations, including the Bridger Basin and the Devil's Graveyard Formation, Notharctus was wide-ranging throughout North America. The genus contains at least 4 species. Notharctus is among the first known fossil primates from North America, with the first fossil being collected by Joseph Leidy from the Fort Bridger Basin in 1870. Notharctus has a long classification history involving frequent reassessment and assignment to various mammal groups, including the obsolete Pachydermata and the Mesodonta. Notharctus belonged to an extinct primate group known as Adapiformes. Adapiform primates were among the first primates to exhibit a set of adaptations for life in the trees, such as grasping hands, binocular vision, and flexible backs. In addition to this, small orbits in the genera indicate that they were diurnal. The diet of Notharctus was likely leaves, and the...

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