Fossil finds suggest early primates once thrived in arctic swamp landscapes
The Arctic suggested to once house two newly discovered primate-like mammals, which may help us comprehend how species there today might adapt as the climate warms.
Researchers have discovered that 52 million years ago, Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic had a warmer climate with dense forests, and was home to two new species of primate-like mammals. This finding provides insight into how species may adapt to current climate change caused by humans.
The newly discovered fossils date back to the early Eocene epoch, a time when Earth was home to many ancient relatives of modern mammals, such as tapirs, hippopotamuses, and humans. The fossils belong to the extinct genus Ignacius and the study's lead author, Kristen Miller, a University of Kansas evolutionary biologist, said that their exact relation to modern primates is still unknown but they belong to the broader group of primates and primate-like animals such as flying lemurs. In Miller's illustration of one example of the genus Ignacius, it looks similar to a squirrel.
Most species of the extinct genus Ignacius lived in middle latitudes, such as present-day United States. However, the two species described by Miller and her team are the first to be found in the Arctic. The fossils, now named Ignacius mckennai and Ignacius dawsonae, were collected in the 1970s from Ellesmere Island by paleontologist Mary Dawson, but they were not recognized as new species until now.
Scientists are also intrigued by the absence of certain animal species on Ellesmere Island, such as early horses and other early hooved mammals, as well as Ignacius' closest relatives. This suggests that while some animals from lower latitudes were able to adapt to the warming Arctic during the Eocene, others were not. Understanding how species responded to warming events in the past can provide insight into how they may adapt to the current rapid warming caused by humans.
Jaelyn Eberle, a vertebrate paleontologist, points out that this information is crucial in predicting how biota will survive in an ice-free Arctic, which could occur as early as 2035. One characteristic that could make it easier for species to move into a warming Arctic could be the ability to eat a variety of foods.
