Whoa: This ancient squirrel is your oldest known ancestor

So this is why you like nuts so much. Paleontologists have discovered the fossilized bones of the oldest known primate, which happened to look a lot like a squirrel. The animal, known as Purgatorius, lived during the Paleocene (about 65 million years ago), right after the extinction of most dinosaurs. The sprightly little fellow lived in trees, and had a nifty ankle bone that made navigating trunks and branches a breeze. Evolution is a strange thing: Once, Purgatorius were the peak of biological sophistication. Now it’s us, and we frequently scrape things that look like Purgatorius off our tires. Oof. [Source]

 

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