Hemiacodon gracilis


TAXONOMY:

MORPHOLOGY:
Hemiacodon gracilis had the tibia and fibula not fused together (Fleagle, 1988). This species had a navicular bone which was elongated (Conroy, 1990). In this species the entocuneiform bone and the first metatarsal articulate in way like members of the extant genus Tarsius, that is in a saddle-shaped joint (Conroy, 1990). The first metatarsal had an enlarged peroneal tubercle for the insertion of the peroneus muscle (Conroy, 1990). This species had a dental formula of 2:1:3:3 on both the upper and lower jaw (Conroy, 1990). The hallux of this species was divergent (Martin, 1990). This species had an average body mass of around 1.0 kilogram (Fleagle, 1988).

RANGE:
Hemiacodon gracilis lived on the continent of North America and occurred during the middle Eocene (Fleagle, 1988).

LOCOMOTION:
Based upon postcranial remains this species was most likely a leaper (Fleagle, 1988).

REFERENCES:
Conroy, G.C. 1990. Primate Evolution. W.W. Norton and Co.: New York.

Fleagle, J.G. 1988. Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press: New York.

Martin, R.D. 1990. Primate Origins and Evolution: A Phylogenetic Reconstruction. Princeton University Press: Princeton, New Jersey.

Last updated: November 14, 2001

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