34 million years ago unearthed in Yunnan | | Primate fossil fossil Primate evolution lift key stages _ news
File photo: Ring tailed lemur Reference news network on May 7, British media reports said 34 million years ago in southern China, on the tree of life 6 precious fossils of fur animals helps people understand a key moment in the evolution of primates. Primate became human.
Reuters reported on May 5, 5th scientists announced the discovery of the 6 previously unknown, extinct primate species remains: 4 like the lemurs of Madagascar, a nocturnal and eat like insects and lizards in the Philippines and the tarsier of Indonesia, there is a monkey-like primates.
Reports in all mammals, primates are most sensitive to the environment. After the dramatic changes in global climate, these primates only survive for a short period of time. Flora and fauna at the climate change living conditions became colder and drier, resulting in all primates are extinct in North America and Europe, had had a devastating impact on primates in Asia.
Later evolved into the Primate lineage of monkeys, apes and humans was known as the great apes, originated in Asia, whose earliest fossils date back to 45 million years ago. Only later, about 38 million years ago, some apes migrated to Africa. It is in Africa 200,000 years ago, humans arose. But if the apes first appeared in Asia, why apes and humans is not there? 34 million years ago, the cold climate is the main reason.
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of vertebrate paleontology and paleontologist Ni Xijun (voice) said it represented a key moment in Primate evolution "a key filter."
Reported that in before the temperature drops, Asia of primate apes dominated. Later, they are lemur-apes dominate, while primates like monkeys decreased substantially. 6 new species found in China's Yunnan province, is the only one in the great apes will illustrate this point.
Effect of temperatures on Africa are not too big, and the great apes of Africa has become more and more diversified. University of Kansas paleontologist kelisi·bierde said: "If the early Asian anthropoids have not (in front of the sudden drop in temperature) in the colonization of Africa, we cannot think about that sort of thing here. ”
Beard added: "Similarly, if Asia great apes (in front of the large drop in temperature) has not suffered such a great loss of evolution, our distant ancestors likely evolution in Asia, not in Africa. "He said:" the only apes in this pile of fossils, a small primates, like monkeys called Bahinia banyueae, maybe with today's smaller, such as wool (American small long-tailed Macaque) monkeys of South America, such as similar. "Bild said, its teeth show that its diet with fruit and insects.
The 6 species of wreckage only teeth, jaws, and a few other bones of the fossil.
The study, published in the United States in science magazine. (Compile/diffident)
Responsible editor: Kun Qu SN117
Article keywords:Primate fossil
I want feedback
Save a Web page
Integrated
云南出土3400万年前化石 揭灵长类进化关键阶段|灵长类|化石_新闻资讯
资料图片：环尾狐猴 参考消息网5月7日报道 英媒称，3400万年前在中国南方的树上生活的6个毛皮动物的珍贵化石有助于人们深入了解灵长类动物进化过程中的一个关键时刻。灵长类动物最终演变成人类。
据路透社5月5日报道，科学家5日宣布发现了6个以前不为人知的、已灭绝的灵长类物种的残骸：4个类似马达加斯加的狐猴，一个类似夜间活动、吃昆虫和蜥蜴的菲律宾及印尼眼镜猴，还有一个类似猴的灵长类动物。
报道称，在所有哺乳动物中，灵长类对环境最为敏感。在全球气候发生急剧变化后，这些灵长类只存活了很短一段时间。那次的气候剧变使动植物的生存条件变得更冷、更干燥，致使北美和欧洲的所有灵长类都灭绝了，也对亚洲的灵长类产生了毁灭性影响。
后来进化成猴、猿和人的灵长类世系被称为类人猿，起源于亚洲，他们的最早化石可以追溯到4500万年前。只是在后来，大约3800万年前，一些类人猿才迁徙到非洲。正是在20万年前的非洲大陆，人类崛起了。但如果类人猿首先出现在亚洲，为何猿和人没有也出现在那里？3400万年前的寒冷气候是最主要的原因。
中国社科院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所的古生物学者倪习俊（音）说，这一关键时刻代表了灵长类进化史中“一个关键的过滤期”。
报道称，在气温下降前，亚洲的灵长类被类人猿主宰。后来，它们被像狐猴的类人猿主宰，与此同时，像猴的灵长类大幅减少。在中国云南省发现的6个新物种中仅有一个是类人猿便说明了这一点。
气温骤降对非洲的影响不太大，而且非洲的类人猿变得更大、更多样化。堪萨斯大学古生物学者克里斯·比尔德说：“如果早期的亚洲类人猿没有（在气温骤降前）在非洲开拓殖民地，我们肯定无法在这里思考诸如此类的事情。”
比尔德还说：“同样地，如果亚洲类人猿（在气温大降前）没有蒙受如此巨大的进化损失，我们遥远的祖先可能就会在亚洲而不是在非洲进化。”他说：“这堆化石中唯一的类人猿，一个瘦小的、像猴的灵长类被称为Bahinia banyueae，或许与今天较小的诸如绒（美洲产小型长尾猴）之类的南美猴相似。”比尔德说，它的牙齿表明它的饮食以水果和昆虫为主。
这6个物种的残骸只有牙齿、颌和少数其他骨头的化石。
该研究发表在美国《科学》周刊上。（编译/龙君）
责任编辑：瞿崑 SN117
文章关键词： 灵长类 化石
我要反馈
保存网页
综合