| Duke University
Lemur Center Division of Fossil Primates |
| JI Bloch and DM Boyer, Science 298, 22 November 2001, p 1606. |
| This cladogram plots the relationship of Plesiadapiformes, which have been called Proprimates to the euprimates or Primates, and is based on newly discovered postcranial characteristics. Bloch and Boyer describe a partial skeleton of a plesiadapiform Carpolestes. They argue that the digits of carpolestes suggest that it was adapted for terminal branch feeding but not leaping or visual predation. This specimen of Carpolestes does not give evidence of either a leaping specialization or orbital convergence, both thought to be characteristics of early primates. This in turn probably adapted them for feeding on fruits, flowers, leafbuds, nectar, and the like. In confirmation of the name Carpolestes, which translates from the Greek karpos (fruit) plus lest (robber or stealer), hence fruitstealer. The cladogram also shows relatedness to primates by Tupaia, the treeshrews, and Dermoptera, the flying lemurs. Since these orders occur today only in Asia, Beard has used this distribution to argue that order Primates also arose in that continent. |