Altiatlasius

Altiatlasius
Temporal range: Late Paleocene,
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Genus: Altiatlasius
Sigé et al., 1990
Species:
A. koulchii
Binomial name
Altiatlasius koulchii
Sigé et al., 1990

Altiatlasius is an extinct genus of mammal, which may have been the oldest known primate, dating to the Late Paleocene (c.57 ma) from Morocco. The only species, Altiatlasius koulchii, was described in 1990.

Its true taxonomic position remains controversial. It has also been suggested that it should be classified as a plesiadapiform (an extinct group of arboreal mammal thought to be ancestral to primates) or that it should be recognized as a euprimate, either as an omomyid (a branch of fossil primates thought to be closely related to tarsiers), an early tarsiiform, or the oldest stem simian (monkeys and apes).


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