Karanisia
Encyclopedia
Karanisia is an extinct genus of lorisid
primate
and is represented by two species, K. clarki and K. arenula.
K. clarki was described in 2003 from isolated teeth and jaw fragments found in Late Middle Eocene
(c. 40 million years ago) sediments of the Birket Qarun Formation
in the Egyptian Faiyum. The specimens indicate the presence of a toothcomb
, making it the earliest fossil primate to indisputably bear this trait, which is unique to all living strepsirrhines
(lemur
s, loris
es, and galago
s) in extant primates. This fossil, along with recently discovered toothcomb-bearing Bugtilemur mathesoni
(2001) of the Oligocene
found in the Chitarwata Formation
of Pakistan
, has added complications to the puzzle of lemur origins
.
In 2010 a second species, K. arenula, was described in the journal Nature
from Late Middle Eocene
rocks in Libya
.
Lorisidae
Lorisidae is a family of strepsirrhine primates. The lorisids are all slim arboreal animals and include the lorises, pottos and angwantibos. Lorisids live in tropical, central Africa as well as in south and southeast Asia....
primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
and is represented by two species, K. clarki and K. arenula.
K. clarki was described in 2003 from isolated teeth and jaw fragments found in Late Middle Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
(c. 40 million years ago) sediments of the Birket Qarun Formation
Lake Moeris
Lake Moeris is an ancient lake in the northwest of the Faiyum Oasis, southwest of Cairo, Egypt. It persists in modern times as a smaller lake called Birket Qarun. The lake's surface is 140 ft below sea-level, and covers about ....
in the Egyptian Faiyum. The specimens indicate the presence of a toothcomb
Toothcomb
A toothcomb is an anatomical structure found in strepsirrhine primates, which includes lemurs, lorises and galagos. A toothcomb consists of long, flat forward-angled teeth, and includes the lower incisors and the canine teeth...
, making it the earliest fossil primate to indisputably bear this trait, which is unique to all living strepsirrhines
Strepsirrhini
The clade Strepsirrhini is one of the two suborders of primates. Madagascar's only non-human primates are strepsirrhines, and others can be found in southeast Asia and Africa...
(lemur
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
s, loris
Loris
Loris is the common name for the strepsirrhine primates of the subfamily Lorisinae in family Lorisidae. Loris is one genus in this subfamily and includes the slender lorises, while Nycticebus is the genus for the slow lorises....
es, and galago
Galago
Galagos , also known as bushbabies, bush babies or nagapies , are small, nocturnal primates native to continental Africa, and make up the family Galagidae...
s) in extant primates. This fossil, along with recently discovered toothcomb-bearing Bugtilemur mathesoni
Bugtilemur
Bugtilemur is an extinct genus of Strepsirhine primate tentatively placed within family Cheirogaleidae, which includes the dwarf and mouse lemurs of Madagascar. It is represented by only one species, B. mathesoni, which was found in the Chitarwata Formation of Pakistan...
(2001) of the Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
found in the Chitarwata Formation
Chitarwata Formation
The Chitarwata Formation is a geological formation in western Pakistan, made up of Oligocene and early Miocene terrestrial facies. It is dominated by coastal paleoenvironments ....
of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, has added complications to the puzzle of lemur origins
Lemur evolutionary history
The evolutionary history of lemurs occurred in isolation from other primates, on the island of Madagascar, for at least 40 million years. Lemurs are prosimian primates belonging to the suborder Strepsirrhini, which branched off from other primates less than 63 mya...
.
In 2010 a second species, K. arenula, was described in the journal Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
from Late Middle Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
rocks in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.