Rapid Asia–Europe–North America geographic dispersal of earliest Eocene primate Teilhardina during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum

Abstract

True primates appeared suddenly on all three northern continents during the 100,000-yr-duration Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum at the beginning of the Eocene, Ϸ55.5 mya. The simultaneous or nearly simultaneous appearance of euprimates on northern continents has been difficult to understand because the source area, immediate ancestors, and dispersal routes were all unknown. Now, omomyid haplorhine Teilhardina is known on all three continents in association with the carbon isotope excursion marking the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Relative position within the carbon isotope excursion indicates that Asian Teilhardina asiatica is oldest, European Teilhardina belgica is younger, and North American Teilhardina brandti and Teilhardina americana are, successively, youngest. Analysis of morphological characteristics of all four species supports an Asian origin and a westward Asia-toEurope-to-North America dispersal for Teilhardina. High-resolution isotope stratigraphy indicates that this dispersal happened in an interval of Ϸ25,000 yr. Rapid geographic dispersal and morphological character evolution in Teilhardina reported here are consistent with rates observed in other contexts.carbon isotope excursion ͉ euprimates ͉ omomyids

Biogeography of worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) driven by end-Cretaceous mass extinction

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Rapid diversification and dispersal during periods of global warming by plethodontid salamanders

“…The diversification of angiosperms during Cretaceous warming would have provided new ecological niches suitable for several groups, both vertebrates and invertebrates (26,44,46), stimulating their diversification. The spectacular diversification and dispersal of modern groups of mammals and birds also has been linked to rapid global warming during the same periods (48,49). Global warming periods could have been particularly favorable for dispersal of even the unlikely dispersing salamanders, as well as other tetrapods, and clades of invertebrates and plants, but the causes (i.e., climatic, ecological because of the availability of new resources and niches, or physical by shortening distances) are unknown.…”

Macaques at the margins: the biogeography and extinction of Macaca sylvanus in Europe

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