Most people imagine that our early primate ancestors were hanging out in lush tropical forests. But recent research This shows that they were facing cold.
As an ecologist who has studied chimpanzees and lemurs in Uganda and Madagascar, I am fascinated by the environments that shaped our primate ancestors. These new findings have overturned decades of assumptions about how and where our lineage began.
The question of our own development is of fundamental importance to understanding who we are. The same forces that shaped our ancestors also shape us, and will shape our future.
Climate has always been a major factor driving ecological and evolutionary change: which species survive, which adapt, and which disappear. And as the planet warms, the lessons of the past become more relevant than ever.
cold truth
The new scientific study, conducted by George Avaria-Lalouturio of the University of Reading and other researchers, maps the geographical origins of our primate ancestors and the historical climate in those places. The results are surprising: Instead of evolving in hot tropical environments, as scientists previously thought, it seems that early primates lived in cold and dry areas.
These environmental challenges may have been important in motivating our ancestors to adapt, evolve, and spread into other areas. Studies show that it took millions of years for primates to settle in tropical areas. Warmer global temperatures do not appear to have accelerated the spread or evolution of new species of primates. However, rapid changes between dry and humid climates induced evolutionary change.
was one of the earliest known primates TeilhardinaA tiny tree dweller weighing just 28 grams – similar to Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur, the smallest primate alive today. to be so small, Teilhardina Had to eat a high calorie diet consisting of fruits, gums and insects.
fossils suggest Teilhardina was different from other mammals of the time it had nails in it Instead of claws, which helped it grip branches and handle food – a key characteristic of primates to this day. Teilhardina They appeared about 56 million years ago (about 10 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs) and the species spread rapidly from its origin in North America to Europe and China.
It’s easy to see why scientists assumed that primates evolved in hot and humid climates. Most primates today live in the tropics, and most primate fossils have also been found there.
But when the scientists behind the new study used fossil spore and pollen data from early primate fossil environments to predict climate, they found that the locations were not tropical at the time. Primates actually originated in North America (again, going against what scientists once believed, partly as there are There are no primates in North America today).
some primates too colonized arctic region. These early primates may have survived seasonally cold temperatures and resulting food shortages by surviving, like today’s mouse lemur and dwarf lemur species: by slowing their metabolism and even going into hibernation.
The challenging and changeable conditions would have favored primates who moved around in search of food and better habitat. The primate species that are with us today are the descendants of these highly mobile ancestors. Those who were less able to walk did not leave any descendants alive today.
from past to future
The study shows the importance of studying extinct animals and the environment they lived in. If we are to conserve primate species today, we need to know how they are bullied And how they will respond to those threats. Understanding evolutionary responses to climate change is important for the conservation of the world’s primates and other species beyond them.
When their habitats are destroyed, often due to deforestation, primates are prevented from moving around freely. Due to small populations, confined to small and less diverse areas, today’s primates lack the genetic diversity to adapt to changing environments.
But to save the world’s primate species we need more than knowledge and understanding Political action and changes in personal behaviorTo tackle bushmeat consumption – the main reason primates are hunted by humans – and to reverse habitat loss and climate change. Otherwise, all primates are in danger of extinction, including us.