Biretia: Difference between revisions
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The first discovery of ''Biretia'' was a single tooth at the Bir el Ater site. Aged at approximately 37 mya Original species found was ''Biretia piveteaui'' found in 1988. Recently however two new species have been classified, ''B. fayumensis'' and ''B. megalopsis'' both in 2005. Discovered in Birket Qarun Locality 2 (BQ-2) located about 60 mi south of Cairo in Egypt's Fayum depression. A very small anthropoid it only weighed around 280 to possibly 380 grams. Fragments from the jaw suggest it had had very large eyes in proportion to its body size which would suggest that it was nocturnal. |
The first discovery of ''Biretia'' was a single tooth at the Bir el Ater site. Aged at approximately 37 mya Original species found was ''Biretia piveteaui'' found in 1988. Recently however two new species have been classified, ''B. fayumensis'' and ''B. megalopsis'' both in 2005. Discovered in Birket Qarun Locality 2 (BQ-2) located about 60 mi south of Cairo in Egypt's Fayum depression. A very small anthropoid it only weighed around 280 to possibly 380 grams. Fragments from the jaw suggest it had had very large eyes in proportion to its body size which would suggest that it was nocturnal. |
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The smaller of the species ''B. fayumensis'' had an estimated weight of 273 g while the largest of ''Biretia'', the ''B. megalopsis'' had a weight of about 376g. This species is easily comparable to the modern ''Tarsius'' a small modern Asian primate whose nocturnal insectivorous lifestyle may have been shared with the ancient ''Biretia megalopsis'' the first example of a nocturnal early anthropoid. We infer this possibility of a nocturnal lifestyle from a truncated molar which made room for the large eye socket typical of a nocturnal primate. The large eye structure and similarity to the modern ''Trasius'' also suggests that it has lost its tapetum lucidum. The genus is known only from a handful of fossil fragments, including a few maxilla fragments and some teeth and teeth fragments from the different species. |
The smaller of the species ''B. fayumensis'' had an estimated weight of 273 g while the largest of ''Biretia'', the ''B. megalopsis'' had a weight of about 376g. This species is easily comparable to the modern ''Tarsius'' a small modern Asian primate whose nocturnal insectivorous lifestyle may have been shared with the ancient ''Biretia megalopsis'' the first example of a nocturnal early anthropoid. We infer this possibility of a nocturnal lifestyle from a truncated molar which made room for the large eye socket typical of a nocturnal primate. The large eye structure and similarity to the modern ''Trasius'' also suggests that it has lost its tapetum lucidum. The genus is known only from a handful of fossil fragments, including a few maxilla fragments and some teeth and teeth fragments from the different species. |
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Revision as of 02:38, 13 October 2009
File:310 300 F2.gif The first discovery of Biretia was a single tooth at the Bir el Ater site. Aged at approximately 37 mya Original species found was Biretia piveteaui found in 1988. Recently however two new species have been classified, B. fayumensis and B. megalopsis both in 2005. Discovered in Birket Qarun Locality 2 (BQ-2) located about 60 mi south of Cairo in Egypt's Fayum depression. A very small anthropoid it only weighed around 280 to possibly 380 grams. Fragments from the jaw suggest it had had very large eyes in proportion to its body size which would suggest that it was nocturnal. The smaller of the species B. fayumensis had an estimated weight of 273 g while the largest of Biretia, the B. megalopsis had a weight of about 376g. This species is easily comparable to the modern Tarsius a small modern Asian primate whose nocturnal insectivorous lifestyle may have been shared with the ancient Biretia megalopsis the first example of a nocturnal early anthropoid. We infer this possibility of a nocturnal lifestyle from a truncated molar which made room for the large eye socket typical of a nocturnal primate. The large eye structure and similarity to the modern Trasius also suggests that it has lost its tapetum lucidum. The genus is known only from a handful of fossil fragments, including a few maxilla fragments and some teeth and teeth fragments from the different species.
Fossil fragments The fossil fragments found for B. fayumensis, new species, include a composite of isolated P2 (DPC 21759C), P3(DPC 21249E), P4 (DPC 21371A), M1 (DPC 21250D), and M2 (DPC 21539E. For B. megalopsis, new species, maxilla with M1 through M3 (DPC 21358F).