In Depth
Smilodectes is another example of an early Eocene era primate, and one of the better known from North America. As a notharctine primate, Smilodectes was similar to the type genus of the group, Notharctus. Like its relatives, Smilodectes was a small and lightly built primate that spent most of its time up in the tree canopy, where it’s presumed to have been a leaf eater. This is also a reflection of Eocene ecosystems which had a much wider expanse of forests than what are seen today, especially within the United States.
Further Reading
– Notice of some new fossil mammals from the Tertiary Formation. – American Journal of Science 2(7):35-44. – O. C. Marsh – 1871. – Studies of Eocene Mammalia in the Marsh Collection, Peabody Museum. Part II. Primates. Suborder Cheiromyoidea. – The American Journal of Science, series 4 16:345-368. – J. L. Wortman – 1903. – Phylogeny of middle Eocene Adapidae (Mammalia, Primates) in North America: Smilodectes and Notharctus. – Journal of Paleontology 53(1):153-163. – P. D. Gingerich – 1979. – Notharctine primates (Adapiformes) from the early to middle Eocene (Wasatchian-Bridgerian) of Wyoming: transitional species and the origins of Notharctus and Smilodectes. – Journal of Human Evolution 43(3):353-380. – G. F. Gunnell – 2002.
