Earth's Early Primates Evolved in the Cold — Not the Tropics

Early primates evolved in cold climates, not tropical jungles

Early primates evolved in cold North American climates 66 million years ago, enduring freezing winters before migrating to tropics.

Earth's early primates evolved in the cold — not the tropics

Fossil spore and pollen data reveal our early ancestors evolved in cold, dry environments, with some even colonizing Arctic regions.

Our primate ancestors evolved in the cold – not the tropics

Japan's famous snow macaques are an exception among primates today. But our early ancestors often lived through weather like this. R7 Photo / shutterstockMost people imagine our early primate ancestors swinging through lush tropical forests. But new research shows that they were braving the cold. As an ecologist who has studied chimpanzees and lemurs in the field in Uganda and Madagascar, I am fascinated by the environments that shaped our prima…