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doi:10.1016/S0047-2484(81)80057-7 
Copyright © 1981 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Early cenozoic omomyidae and the evolutionary history of tarsiiform primates
Received 23 January 1981;
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Omomyidae are a group of tarsiiform fossil primates that underwent its greatest diversification on northern continents during the Eocene and early Oligocene (c. 53–35 Ma). Three subfamilies of Omomyidae are known: primitive Anaptomorphinae are found in Europe, North America, and Asia, more advanced Microchoerinae are known from Europe, and Omomyinae are known with certainty only from North America. Morphologically Omomyidae, like living Tarsius, are characterized by pointed incisors, a mobile mandibular symphysis, tritubercular cheek teeth, some postorbital closure, a tubular ectotympanic, an elongated calcaneus and navicular, and a fused tibiafibula. Predicting body size from tooth size in Omomyidae is difficult, but it is clear that the principal evolutionary radiation of this group took place at small body size (between about 20 and 500 g), and consequently omomyids were probably obligate insectivores and frugivores.
Omomyidae first appear in the fossil record of North America and Europe at the same time as lemuriform Adapidae and the first representatives of other modern orders of mammals. The timing of first appearance and some dental similarities suggest that omomyids may be more closely related to primitive Adapidae than they are to Paleocene plesiadapiform primates. Judging by its morphological similarity to Omomyidae, Tarsius almost certainly evolved from this group of Eocene primates. There is a much greater gap in morphology between Eocene Omomyidae and Oligocene Simiiform primates, and, judging from the fossil record, higher primates are more plausibly derived from lemuriform Adapidae than Omomyidae. This conclusion is at variance with current interpretations of a considerable literature on the comparative anatomy of living primates, and further comparative and paleontological research will be required to achieve a consensus. Attempts to arrange the accepted primate sub- or infraorders Plesiadapiformes, Tarsiiformes, Lemuriformes and Simiiformes into higher groups reflecting their phylogenetic relationships appear premature.
Keywords: Eocene primates; Omomyidae; primate evolution; primate classification
