92 THE LOWER PRIMATES 



eludes that tarsius is a lemur anneetant to the early Eoeene primitive 

 placentals. Standing at the base of the primate stem, it reaches forth to the 

 simian forms and is anneetant to the Anthropoidea. 



In stating his views concerning the allinities of tarsius, E. D. Cope 

 claimed that "the genus Ana])t()m(ir})l.nis is the most simian lemur yet dis- 

 covered and probably represents the family from which the anthropoid 

 monkeys and men were derived. The animal was nocturnal in its habits and 

 had a number of resemblances to Tarsius which is perhaps its nearest ally 

 among the lemurs." 



Mathew and Granger both are in general accord with this view 

 when they say that "There are several characters in addition to the larger 

 braincasc in which the skull of Tarsius is more modernized than that of the 

 Lower Eocene Ana])t(>mi)rpl.ms, but in some other genera of this group the 

 dentition is much nearer to Tarsiiis and the skull construction may likewise 

 have been nearer." 



In regard to tarsius, Earle likewise believes that this is evidently a 

 type nearly between the lemurs and the apes, but with many essential char- 

 acters belonging to the former group. Some of its anthropoid characters are 

 nascent, so to speak. They are Just developing, and as in the case of the orbit 

 of tarsius, it is not yet fully differentiated into the higher type of true anthro- 

 poids. The anthropoids diverged from a lem urine stock probably not earlier 

 than the Upper Eocene. This deduction is supported by the fact that the 

 first lemurs to appear are insectivorous in their allinities. 



Sonntag also believes that the Eocene Anaptomorphidae gave rise 

 to tarsius and the monkeys arose from a tarsioid ancestor. 



Wood-Jones, however, has assumed what is perhaps the most radical 

 attitude in holding that tarsius "like man shows primitive cranial architec- 

 ture. His kidney is formed on human lines, his aortic arch is arranged as in 

 man, and in a w ord he shows with man the basal mammalian simplicity of the 

 primate group. He is a most highly specialized little creature on his own cur- 



