What was the first primate?

Answer 1

Proconsul, a genus of three species (major, africanus and nyanzae) was the first true primate. He appeared 24 million years ago in the Cenozoic / Tertiary / Miocene.

Proconsul was preceded by proto-primates that date back to about 40 million years ago, to the Cenozoic / Tertiary / Oligocene.

The proto-primates, in turn, descended from the "old world monkeys," who first appeared 60 million years ago in the Cenozoic / Tertiary / Eocene.

The monkeys were a branch of the mammals, who appeared about 210 million years ago, in the Mesozoic / early Triassic.

Answer 2

The first primate-like mammals, or proto-primates , were roughly similar to squirrels and tree shrews in size and appearance. The existing, very fragmentary fossil evidence (mostly from North Africa) suggests that they were adapted to an arboreal way of life in warm, moist climates. They probably were equipped with relatively good eyesight as well as hands and feet with pads and claws for climbing.

The first primates probably evolved during the last part of the Paleocene Epoch . These were members of the genus Altiatlasius . Their bones have been found in 60,000,000 year old geological deposits in Morocco, but they probably lived in other areas at this time as well. They looked different from the primates today. They were still somewhat squirrel-like in size and appearance, but apparently they had grasping hands and feet that were increasingly more efficient in manipulating objects and climbing trees.

Answer 3

You mean the first primates we know about - the fossil record is incomplete. The first recorded primates were pro-simians of the genus Altiatlasius. Their fossils are from north africa and are about 60 M years old. They looked like rats and are our distant relatives.

Answer 4

First primate like animals appeared in the Palaeocene (70 mya), perhaps even late Cretaceous. These are described as early prosimians.