Distribution
The first Primates first appeared about 60 million years ago when Asia Europe and Africa and North America were connected. They evolved mainly in warmer well treed areas and there are now over 500 different primates including man. Somehow they did not survive in North America or Europe but flourished in Africa and Asia. South America was isolated as a continent during the evolution of primates but some how some North African primates managed to cross the then narrower Atlantic Ocean and evolve to become New world monkeys, possibly being swept on tree debris as rafts. Lemurs only live in Madagascar , and also managed to cross water from Africa whilst it was isolated. Tarsiers and Lorises in South east Asia and Bush Babies in Africa.
The first fossils were found in Africa dating to about 55 mya
It is interesting that Lemurs rafted to Madagascar and New world monkeys rafted to South America as the continents were separated millions of years before the species evolved.
