Implications of postcranial evidence for the origin of euprimates

Lemuriforms, Tarsius, anthropoids, adapids, and omomyids share numerous derived postcranial features which support monophyly of the Euprimates and indicate that the archaic primate to euprimate transition was marked by a striking reorganization of the skeleton presumably related to a transformation in locomotor behavior. Analysis of the tarsus indicates that the ancestral euprimate differed from its plesiadapiform progenitor in features related to its increased ability to leap and climb using a grasp based on an opposable hallux. Adapids share derived pedal features with the extant lemuriforms, supporting the monophyly of the Strepsirhini. Omomyids, Tarsius, and anthropoids have the primitive condition of these traits.