Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Environment
Jason Gilchrist, Ecologist, Edinburgh Napier University

Primates colonised the Arctic during a period of ancient global warming -- their fate offers a lesson as climate change speeds up

Researchers have found evidence that primates colonised northern Canada 52 million years ago. Kaca Skokanova/Shutterstock

Two new species of prehistoric primate were recently identified by scientists studying fossils from Canada’s Ellesmere Island in the high Arctic. The primates are closely related and likely originated from a single colonisation event, following which they split into two species: Ignacius dawsonae and Ignacius mckennai.

At 52 million years old, they represent the most recent known members of their genus.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.