Adapid (Noun)
Meaning
Extinct small mostly diurnal lower primates that fed on leaves and fruit; abundant in North America and Europe 30 to 50 million years ago; their descendents probably include the lemurs; some authorities consider them ancestral to anthropoids but others consider them only cousins.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The adapid fossils found in the North American badlands provided valuable insights into the evolution of early primates.
- During the Eocene epoch, adapids were one of the most common primate species in Europe.
- The adapid's diet consisted mainly of leaves, fruits, and seeds, which they foraged for in the forest canopy.
- Scientists have long debated whether adapids are the direct ancestors of modern lemurs or simply a closely related group.
- The discovery of adapid fossils in the American West has shed new light on the migration patterns of early primates.