Notharctus

Notharctus is a genus of adapiform primate that lived in North America and Europe during the late to middle Eocene.Template:Sfn

File:Notharctus tenebrosus e Plesiadapis cooki (cropped).jpg

N. tenebrosus (left) compared to Plesiadapis cookei (right), a plesiadapiform. Both come from Eocene Wyoming, though the latter is slightly geologically older.

The body form of Notharctus is similar to that of modern rats. Its fingers were elongated for clamping onto branches, including the development of a thumb. Its spine is flexible and the animal was about Template:Convert in length, excluding the long tail.

There were at least four different Notharctus species.Template:Sfn Fossils from at least seven other potential species have also been discovered.

File:Notharctus osborni.JPG

N. osborni skull

External links

• Mikko's Phylogeny Archive