Plesiadapiformes
| Plesiadapiformes Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Eocene | |
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| Plesiadapis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Superorder: | Euarchontoglires |
| Order: | †Plesiadapiformes |
| Families | |
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Plesiadapiformes ("Adapid-like" or "near Adapiformes") is an extinct order of mammals. It is either closely related to the primates or a precursor to them. Many are too derived to be ancestral to primates, but the earliest Plesiadapiformes have teeth that are strongly indicative of a common ancestor. Purgatorius is believed to be close to the last common ancestor of primates and Plesiadapiformes.
Plesiadapiformes first appear in the fossil record in the Cretaceous period, though many were extinct by the beginning of the Eocene. It is possible that they are the first mammals to have developed finger nails in place of claws.[1]
| Euarchontoglires |
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One possible classification table of plesiadapiform families is listed below.
- ORDER PLESIADAPIFORMES
- Family Micromomyidae
- Superfamily Paromomyoidea
- Family Paromomyidae
- Family Picromomyidae
- Family Palaechthonidae
- Family Picrodontidae
- Family Microsyopidae
- Superfamily Plesiadapoidea
- Family Chronolestidae
- Family Plesiadapidae
- Superfamily Carpolestoidea
- Family Carpolestidae
References
- ↑ ""Sleep, First Primates, Earthquakes in the Midwest and Profile: Sang-Mook Lee"". NOVA scienceNOW. Season 4. Episode 8. 1 September 2009. 13:04 minutes in. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0303/02.html.