An ancient primate jawbone has found in Northern India. The scientists named the new species Ramadapis sahnii and believed it existed 11 to 14 million years ago.

For six years, Biren Patel from the Keck School of Medicine of USC has been finding fossils in Kashmir in Northern India. Recently, a newly found primate teeth was found in this place. The jawbone found by fossil hunters is said to be related to a lemur. The primitive group does not belong to the family connected to humans, apes, and monkeys.

Like Us on Facebook

The newly found species Ramadapis sahnii belongs to Sivaladapidae primate family. Patel said that these family primarily consume leaves and the size is most likely similar to a house cat. The genus Sivapithecus - ancestors orangutans - are common in the region of Kashmir, Pated added. It was 38 years ago since the last primates were found in this area. This is the first primate fossil belonging to a new family found in decades. It also came from different primate family tree poorly known in Asia.

Michael Habib from Keck School of Medicine says that the primate is one-of-a-kind in the area of Asia. It has significant consequences to understanding how primates evolve in the old world, he added.

But the question remains as to how researchers on how the Northern India's ecosystem supported this kind of species. Fieldwork and finding more fossil around the place is much needed to give an answer to the question. Understanding the origin of primates, which includes lemur, is needed to understand evolution and human origin. Lemurs, Sivaladapids, and humans are all primates.