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Invading Europe: did climate or geography trigger early Eocene primate dispersals?
1Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK. c.soligo@ucl.ac.uk
Folia Primatologica; International Journal of Primatology
|September 15, 2007
Summary
The Palaeocene-Eocene transition saw early primates appear globally. This study suggests the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum warming event did not drive primate invasions into Europe, but rather the removal of dispersal barriers.
Area of Science:
- Paleontology
- Paleoclimatology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- The early evolution of primates is linked to the Palaeocene-Eocene transition, a period of significant mammalian turnover.
- Primates first appear in the fossil record globally during this time, raising questions about their rapid diversification and dispersal.
Observation:
- The Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) is a notable warming event during this transition, marked by a negative carbon isotope excursion.
- This study investigates the hypothesis that PETM-related environmental changes facilitated primate invasions into Western Europe.
Findings:
- Analysis of mammalian fauna ecology before and after the Palaeocene-Eocene transition shows minimal changes.
- The ecological shifts observed do not strongly support the PETM warming event as a driver for primate invasion into Western Europe.
Implications:
- The findings suggest that environmental changes during the PETM were not the primary factor for primate dispersal into Western Europe.
- The breakdown of dispersal barriers near the end of the Palaeocene is proposed as a more likely cause for the observed primate appearance in Western Europe.
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