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A survey of fossil primate hands

  • Chapter
Hands of Primates

Abstract

The paleontological evidence pertaining to the evolution of the modern diversity in structure and function of primate hands is reviewed. The euprimate morphotype hand was elongated, had a short carpus and limited mobility, but the corresponding locomotor mode remains speculative. Hand remains of Smilodectes, Adapis, a Messel adapiform and Pronycticebus reveal a remarkable diversity in carpal structure achieved in these Eocene adapiforms, due to differing locomotor evolutionary pathways. The subfossil lemurif orms Megaladapis and Palaeopropithecus both show stereotyped (but different) grasping capabilities. We describe the strepsirhine morphotype hand, characterized by a relatively high degree of pollical divergence, features of the ulnocarpal articulation that imply an enhanced capacity for ulnar deviation, and relatively long digits; this hand is specialized for grasping.

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Authors
  1. M. Godinot
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  2. K. C. Beard
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Funktionelle Morphologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Gebäude MA 0/44, D-4630, Bochum 1, Germany

    Holger Preuschoft

  2. Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    David J. Chivers

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Godinot, M., Beard, K.C. (1993). A survey of fossil primate hands. In: Preuschoft, H., Chivers, D.J. (eds) Hands of Primates. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6914-8_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6914-8_23

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