Ancient Monkeys' Transatlantic Journey: Unveiling a Third Monkey Species
New fossil evidence suggests that ancient monkeys made multiple transatlantic journeys from Africa to South America between 40 and 32 million years ago. The discovery of a 34-million-year-old tooth in the Brazilian Amazon indicates the presence of a third primate group that rafted across the ocean. The tooth resembles those of early monkeys found in South Asia, challenging previous theories. The primates likely traveled on rafts of vegetation ripped up by storms, similar to other animals such as rodents. The exact timing and mechanisms of these transoceanic migrations are still being studied, but the findings shed light on the complex history of primate evolution in South America.