Afrotarsius Temporal range: Eocene to Oligocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Tarsiiformes
Family:	†Afrotarsiidae
Genus:	†Afrotarsius Simons & Bown, 1985
Type species
†Afrotarsius chatrathi Simons & Bown, 1985
Species
Afrotarsius chatrathi Simons & Bown, 1985 Afrotarsius libycus Jaeger et al., 2010

Afrotarsius is a primate found in the Paleogene of Africa.

The first species to be named, Afrotarsius chatrathi, was named in 1985 on the basis of a single lower jaw from the Oligocene of Fayum, Egypt, and tentatively referred to the tarsier family (Tarsiidae).^[1] However, this relationship immediately proved controversial, and in 1987 the animal was placed in a separate family Afrotarsiidae related to simians.^[2] A tarsier-like tibiofibula was allocated to Afrotarsius in 1998,^[3] but the identity of this bone is controversial.^[4] In 2010, a second species of the genus, Afrotarsius libycus, was named from the Eocene of Dur At-Talah, Libya, on the basis of isolated upper and lower teeth. Features of these teeth were interpreted as additional evidence for a relationship between Afrotarsius and anthropoids.^[5] A second afrotarsiid genus, Afrasia, was named in 2012 from the Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar. In the same paper, Afrotarsiidae was placed together with the Asian Eosimiidae in an infraorder Eosimiiformes, in the simians.^[6]^[7] However, some studies indicate that it should be placed in Tarsiiformes.

Evolutionary history

Phylogeny of Paleogene simians^[8]

Primates

Strepsirrhini (†adapiforms, lemurs, & lorisoids)

Haplorhini

†Omomyidae + Tarsiidae (tarsiers)

simians

†Eosimiiformes

†Eosimiidae

	†Eosimias

	†Phenacopithecus

†Bahinia

†Afrotarsiidae

	†Afrasia djijidae

	†Afrotarsius libycus

crown simians

Catharrhini

	†Propliopithecidae

	†Oligopithecidae

†Amphipithecidae

Platyrrhini (New World monkeys)

	†Parapithecidae

	†Proteopithecidae

According to Chaimanee et al. 2012, the close relationship between Afrasia djijidae from Southeast Asia and Afrotarsius libycus from North Africa demonstrates one of at least two dispersals of stem simians from Asia to Africa during the middle Eocene.

References

Literature cited

Chaimanee, Y.; Chavasseau, O.; Beard, K. C.; Kyaw, A. A.; Soe, A. N.; Sein, C.; Lazzari, V.; Marivaux, L.; Marandat, B.; Swe, M.; Rugbumrung, M.; Lwin, T.; Valentin, X.; Zin-Maung-Maung-Thein; Jaeger, J. -J. (2012). "Late Middle Eocene primate from Myanmar and the initial anthropoid colonization of Africa" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 109 (26): 10293–10297. doi:10.1073/pnas.1200644109. PMC 3387043. PMID 22665790.
Ginsburg, L.; Mein, P. (1987). "Tarsius thailandica nov. sp., premier Tarsiidae (Primates, Mammalia) fossile d'Asie". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences. 304 (19): 1213–1215.
Godinot, M. (2010). "Chapter 19: Paleogene Prosimians". In Werdelin, L.; Sanders, W.J (eds.). Cenozoic Mammals of Africa. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-25721-4.
Jaeger, J. J.; Beard, K. C.; Chaimanee, Y.; Salem, M.; Benammi, M.; Hlal, O.; Coster, P.; Bilal, A. A.; Duringer, P.; Schuster, M.; Valentin, X.; Marandat, B.; Marivaux, L.; Métais, E.; Hammuda, O.; Brunet, M. (2010). "Late middle Eocene epoch of Libya yields earliest known radiation of African anthropoids" (PDF). Nature. 467 (7319): 1095–1098. Bibcode:2010Natur.467.1095J. doi:10.1038/nature09425. PMID 20981098. S2CID 4431606. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-03-08.
Rasmussen, D.T.; Conroy, G.C.; Simons, E.L. (1998). "Tarsier-like locomotor specializations in the Oligocene primate Afrotarsius". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 95 (25): 14848–14850. Bibcode:1998PNAS...9514848T. doi:10.1073/pnas.95.25.14848. PMC 24538. PMID 9843978.
Simons, E. L.; Bown, T. M. (1985). "Afrotarsius chatrathi, first tarsiiform primate (? Tarsiidae) from Africa". Nature. 313 (6002): 475–477. Bibcode:1985Natur.313..475S. doi:10.1038/313475a0. S2CID 4254601.

Haplorhini

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates

Haplorhini

†"Omomyidae"

Altanius? Altiatlasius? Bownomomys Kohatius
Microchoerinae	Indusomys Melaneremia Microchoerus Nannopithex Necrolemur Paraloris Pseudoloris Quercyloris Vectipithex
"Anaptomorphinae"	Absarokius Anaptomorphus Anemorhysis Arapahovius Aycrossia Chlororhysis Gazinius Pseudotetonius Sphacorhysis Strigorhysis Tatmanius Teilhardina Tetonius Tetonoides Trogolemur Walshina
"Omomyinae"	Ageitodendron Asiomomys Brontomomys Chipetaia Chumashius Diablomomys Dyseolemur Ekwiiyemakius Gunnelltarsius Hemiacodon Jemezius Loveina Macrotarsius Nesomomys Omomys Ourayia Rooneyia Shoshonius Steinius Stockia Uintanius Utahia Washakius Wyomomys Yaquius
Tarkadectinae	Tarka Tarkadectes Tarkops

Tarsiiformes

†Archicebus †Afrotarsiidae? †"Omomyidae"?
Tarsiidae	Carlito Cephalopachus †Hesperotarsius †Oligotarsius Tarsius †Xanthorhysis?

Simiiformes

- see below↓

Simiiformes

†Altiatlasius?
†Amamria
†Aseanpithecus
†Nosmips?
†Phileosimias?

†Afrotarsiidae?

Afrasia
Afrotarsius

†Eosimiidae

Bahinia
Eosimias
Phenacopithecus

†Amphipithecidae

Amphipithecus
Bugtipithecus?
Ganlea
Krabia
Myanmarpithecus
Pondaungia
Siamopithecus

†Parapithecoidea

Arsinoea Biretia
Proteopithecidae	Proteopithecus Serapia
Parapithecidae	Abuqatrania Apidium Parapithecus Qatrania Ucayalipithecus

Platyrrhini

†Parvimico †Perupithecus †Szalatavus †Canaanimico †Branisella †Lagonimico
Aotidae	Aotus †Tremacebus
Pitheciidae	†Antillothrix Cacajao Callicebus †Carlocebus †Cebupithecia Cheracebus Chiropotes †Homunculus †Insulacebus †Mazzonicebus †Miocallicebus †Nuciruptor Pithecia Plecturocebus †Proteropithecia †Soriacebus †Xenothrix
Atelidae	Alouatta Ateles Brachyteles †Caipora †Cartelles †Chilecebus Lagothrix †Mohanamico Oreonax †Paralouatta †Protopithecus †Solimoea †Stirtonia
Cebidae	†Acrecebus Cebus †Dolichocebus †Killikaike †Panamacebus †Patasola Saimiri Sapajus
Callitrichidae	Callimico Callithrix Cebuella Leontocebus Leontopithecus Mico †Micodon Saguinus

Catarrhini	see below↓

Catarrhini

†Micropithecus
†Saadanius

†Oligopithecidae

Catopithecus
Oligopithecus
Talahpithecus

†Propliopithecidae

Aegyptopithecus
Propliopithecus

†Pliopithecoidea

Krishnapithecus Paidopithex †Kapi
Pliopithecidae	Epipliopithecus Pliopithecus
Dionysopithecidae	Dionysopithecus Platodontopithecus
Crouzeliidae	Anapithecus Barberapithecus Crouzelia Egarapithecus Fanchangia Laccopithecus Plesiopliopithecus

Cercopithecoidea

†Alophe

†Victoriapithecidae

Noropithecus
Nsungwepithecus?
Prohylobates?
Victoriapithecus
Zaltanpithecus

Colobinae

Cercopithecinae

Cercopithecini	Allenopithecus Allochrocebus Cercopithecus Chlorocebus Erythrocebus Miopithecus †Nanopithecus
Papionini	Cercocebus †Dinopithecus †Gorgopithecus Lophocebus Macaca Mandrillus Papio †Paradolichopithecus †Parapapio †Pliopapio †Procercocebus †Procynocephalus Rungwecebus †Soromandrillus Theropithecus

Hominoidea	see below↓

Hominoidea

†Afropithecus †Ekembo †Equatorius †Griphopithecus †Kamoyapithecus? †Kenyapithecus †Morotopithecus †Nacholapithecus †Otavipithecus †Pliobates †Proconsul †Samburupithecus
†Dendropithecidae	Dendropithecus Micropithecus? Nyanzapithecus Oreopithecus? Rangwapithecus Rukwapithecus Simiolus Turkanapithecus
Hylobatidae	†Bunopithecus Hoolock Hylobates †Junzi Nomascus Symphalangus †Yuanmoupithecus

Hominidae

†Graecopithecus †Nakalipithecus †Ouranopithecus
Ponginae	†Ankarapithecus †Gigantopithecus †Indopithecus †Khoratpithecus †Lufengpithecus †Meganthropus Pongo †Sivapithecus

Pan
Hominina	†Ardipithecus? †Australopithecus †Graecopithecus? Homo †Kenyanthropus †Orrorin? †Sahelanthropus? †Paranthropus