Why are the fossil of primates not easily found ??

Answer 1

Animals have to die in very specific circumstances in order to become fossils - and then these fossils have to be found. In order to become a fossil an animal must die in such a way that it won't be eaten, and won't decompose before some record of its shape can be made. Finding fossils is also pretty much purely a matter of luck - there could be hundreds out there but you have no idea where to start looking.

Answer 2

Terrestrial preservation is extremely rare. Dinosaurs ruled the earth for millions of years, and still there have only been a handful of dinosaur skeletons found. Terrestrial conditions just aren't conducive to preservation- as was mentioned above, there's not much sedimentation and bacteria and decomposers quickly make work of the remains, except in very rare situations. Also, primates are relatively new, geologically speaking, so there hasn't been much time for them to accumulate a massive fossil record.

Answer 3

Its also a time thing, primates haven't been around very long in geological terms. Thus the likelihood of the right conditions occurring and somebody finding a fossil, are much reduced.

Answer 4

We are the smartest and we can swim. When the Biblical flood, which is what buried the animals to begin with, came about, the people were able to swim and were able to hold onto floating debris. Thus they were floating on top the water where they decayed. They wern't buried. The fossils we find are the creatures that were quickly buried by the flood and unstable times directly following it. Monkey/Ape fossils are plentiful. Note that most fossils are sealife. The marine fossils are from the sealife who were buried by the debris and dirt from the flood (they were at the bottom already).

Answer 5

Preservation is a big problem in most primate habitat. Most fossils are preserved because they are covered with sediment shortly after death. On land there is little sedimentation except in river beds. lakes etc.

Answer 6

No fossils are easy to find. You have to know where to look - so it's not ENTIRELY a matter of luck.