EVANTH 101D Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Treeshrew, Colugo, List Of Fossil Primates
Document Summary
Absolute dating (radiometric methods: uses half-life based on decay constant - the amount of time it takes for half of the amount to decay, radioactive isotopes - unstable isotopes. Derivative methods - rely on a combination of relative and absolute dating: faunal correlation, we can date fossils using biostratigraphy. When we find a new area we don"t know the dates, the presence of the fossil we know can help identify the dates: paleomagnetism, the magnetic pole flips between northern and southern hemisphere over time. Currently in normal epoch: as lava cools down, they orient themselves toward the magnetic pole as. Evolution of early primates evolution with flying squirrels: mesozoic - gymnosperms prominent, mid-late mesozoic - angiosperms prominent. Evolution of primate traits: grasping hands and feet to feed on terminal branches of angiosperms, orbital convergence to be able to judge depth and improve predation on insects.