L: Lower. M: Middle. U: Upper.
P: Pleistocene. R: Recent. G: Genus. S: Species.
------------------+-----------------------------------+---------+--------
| TERTIARY. | POST- | NOW
+-----------+-----------+-----------+TERTIARY.| LIVING.
| EOCENE. | MIOCENE. | PLIOCENE. | |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+---
| L | M | U | L | M | U | L | M | U | P | R | G | S
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+---
LEMUROIDEA. | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Chiromyidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | -- | -- | -- | --
Tarsiidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | -- | -- | -- | --
Megaladapidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | -- | -- | -- | --
Lemuridæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | -- | -- | -- | --
Anaptomorphidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | -- | -- | -- | --
Adapidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | -- | -- | -- | --
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
ANTHROPOIDEA. | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Hapalidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22
Cebidæ |-- |-- | 4 |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | 7 | -- | 10 | 65
Cercopithecidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | -- | -- | -- | --
Simiidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | -- | -- | -- | --
Hominidæ |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- | ? |-- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1
------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+---
{236}The above tables show that during the Eocene epoch of the Tertiary
Period the _Lemuroidea_ were confined to the Palæarctic and Nearctic
Regions; and, if the geological record were more perfect, we should
probably find that they were distributed across the greater part of the
Northern Hemisphere, which at that period was sub-tropical in climate.
Outside these two regions no Lemuroid remains have been found after the
close of the Eocene (with the exception of the solitary Lower Miocene genus
_Laopithecus_) till the Recent Period, when the superficial deposits of
Madagascar have yielded the sub-fossil _Megaladapis madagascariensis_ and a
large undescribed species (probably of a new genus) of _Lemuridæ_, both of
which may have been living in the historic period. At the present day
Lemuroids are unknown in either the Palæarctic or Nearctic Regions, and,
with the exception of four species, none are now found outside the
Ethiopian Region.
The _Anthropoidea_, on the other hand, first appear in the Neotropical
Region, in the upper Eocene, but the age of the Santa Cruz formation, in
which the remains occur, has not yet been settled with certainty. In the
Eastern Hemisphere they appear in the Mid-Miocene, and continue through the
Pliocene, the Pleistocene and Recent deposits. As yet no remains have been
found in the Nearctic Region, where Lemuroid remains occur so abundantly.
{237}The subjoined tables indicate the number of species in each of the six
great Zoo-Geographical Regions, followed by others showing those peculiar
to, and those living and fossil in, the various sub-divisions of these
Regions:--
_A._ _B._ _C._ _D._ _E._ _F._
Palæarctic Ethiopian Indian Australian Nearctic Neotropical
Region. Region. Region. Region. Region. Region.
LEMUROIDEA.
CHIROMYIDÆ.
Chiromys -- 1 -- -- -- --
TARSIIDÆ.
Tarsius -- -- 2 1 -- --
Megaladapidæ.+
Megaladapis+ -- 1 -- -- -- --
LEMURIDÆ.
Perodicticus -- 2 -- -- -- --
Loris -- -- 1 -- -- --
Nycticebus -- -- 1 -- -- --
Galago -- 6 -- -- -- --
Chirogale -- 3 -- -- -- --
Microcebus -- 5 -- -- -- --
Opolemur -- 2 -- -- -- --
Lemur -- 8 -- -- -- --
Mixocebus -- 1 -- -- -- --
Hapalemur -- 2 -- -- -- --
Lepidolemur -- 7 -- -- -- --
Gen. ined.+ -- 1 -- -- -- --
Avahis -- 1 -- -- -- --
Propithecus -- 4 -- -- -- --
Indris -- 1 -- -- -- --
Anaptomorphidæ.+
Microchærus+ 7 -- -- -- -- --
Mixodectes+ -- -- -- -- 2 --
Cynodontomys+ -- -- -- -- 1 --
Omomys+ -- -- -- -- 1 --
Anaptomorphus+ -- -- -- -- 3 --
Plesiadapis+ 4 -- -- -- -- --
Protoadapis+ 2 -- -- -- -- --
Adapidæ.+
Adapis+ 5 -- -- -- 1 --
Tomitherium+ -- -- -- -- 1 --
Laopithecus+ -- -- -- -- 2 --
Pelycodus+ 1 -- -- -- 4 --
Microsyops+ -- -- -- -- 3 --
Hyopsodus+ 1 -- -- -- 6 --
Opisthotomus+ -- -- -- -- ? --
Apheliscus+ -- -- -- -- ? --
Sarcolemur+ -- -- -- -- ? --
Hipposyus+ -- -- -- -- ? --
Bathrodon+ -- -- -- -- ? --
Mesacodon+ -- -- -- -- ? --
Stenacodon+ -- -- -- -- ? --
ANTHROPOIDEA.
HAPALIDÆ.
Hapale -- -- -- -- -- 8
Midas -- -- -- -- -- 14
CEBIDÆ.
Chrysothrix -- -- -- -- -- 4
Callithrix -- -- -- -- -- 13
Nyctipithecus -- -- -- -- -- 5
Brachyurus -- -- -- -- -- 3
Pithecia -- -- -- -- -- 5
Alouatta -- -- -- -- -- 6
Cebus -- -- -- -- -- 19
Lagothrix -- -- -- -- -- 2
Brachyteles -- -- -- -- -- 1
Ateles -- -- -- -- -- 10
Protopithecus+ -- -- -- -- -- 1
Homunculus+ -- -- -- -- -- 1
Anthropops+ -- -- -- -- -- 1
? Homocentrus+ -- -- -- -- -- 1
? Eudiastus+ -- -- -- -- -- 1
CERCOPITHECIDÆ.
Papio 1 11 2 -- -- --
Theropithecus -- 1 -- -- -- --
Cynopithecus -- -- 1 1 -- --
Oreopithecus+ 1 -- -- -- -- --
Macacus 8 -- 14 2 -- --
Dolichopithecus+ 1 -- -- -- -- --
Mesopithecus+ 1 -- -- -- -- --
Cercocebus -- 6 -- -- -- --
Cercopithecus -- 41 -- -- -- --
Colobus 1 10 -- -- -- --
Semnopithecus 1 -- 31 -- -- --
Nasalis -- -- 1 -- -- --
SIMIIDÆ.
Pliopithecus+ 1 -- -- -- -- --
Hylobates 1 -- 7 -- -- --
Dryopithecus+ 1 -- -- -- -- --
Simia -- -- 1 -- -- --
Gorilla -- 1 -- -- -- --
Anthropopithecus -- 2 1 -- -- --
The following is a sketch of the past and present distribution of the
Primates in the different Sub-regions and Provinces recognised by Dr.
Bowdler Sharpe in his paper on the "Zoo-Geographical Areas of the World"
already referred to.
{241}The black type indicates extinct or fossil species. The names of
species peculiar to a certain area are printed in ordinary type, and those
which are common to two or more areas are indicated by italics.
_A._ PALÆARCTIC REGION.
_A^1._ ARCTIC SUB-REGION.
I. Lemuroidea. | II. Anthropoidea.
Living. Extinct. | Living. Extinct.
Peculiar genera -- -- | Peculiar genera -- --
,, species -- -- | ,, species -- --
_A^2._ EURASIAN SUB-REGION.
_A^2._ [alpha]. EUROPEAN PROVINCE.
I. Lemuroidea. | II. Anthropoidea.
Living. Extinct. | Living. Extinct.
Peculiar genera -- 3 | Peculiar genera -- 3
,, species -- 20 | ,, species -- 9