''Nosmips aenigmaticus'' is a rare fossil primate known only from 12 teeth. Most teeth were found at a site in the

Fayum Depression The Faiyum Oasis ( ar, واحة الفيوم ''Waḥet El Fayyum'') is a depression or basin in the desert immediately to the west of the Nile, or just 62 miles south of Cairo in Egypt. The extent of the basin area is estimated at between 1,270 ...

about outside Cairo, Egypt. ''Nosmips aenigmaticus'' probably lived 37 million years ago in Africa and has not been successfully classified within any group of primates. In particular, it is distinct from the three main branches of primate found in Africa at the time -

anthropoids The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) and Catarrhi ...

adapiforms Adapiformes is a group of early primates. Adapiforms radiated throughout much of the northern continental mass (now Europe, Asia and North America), reaching as far south as northern Africa and tropical Asia. They existed from the Eocene to the ...

and lemuriforms. It is weakly associated with the Eosimiidae. Its

premolar The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...

s are specialised and the tooth enamel displays extensive signs of pitting, which would appear to be consistent with a diet of either seeds or fruits with hard pits.

Name

''Nosmips'' is an anagram of Simpson. The name was chosen to honour paleontologist and anagram enthusiast George Gaylord Simpson.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7061831, from2=Q21368935 Eocene primates Eocene mammals of Africa Prehistoric primate genera