PNAS Science Sessions29 Sep 2025

Where primates evolved

Where primates evolved

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Jorge Avaria-Llautureo and Chris Venditti explain why the evolution of primates likely occurred in cold, dry climates rather than in tropical forests.

In this episode, we cover:
•[00:00] Introduction
•[00:58] Evolutionary biologist Jorge Avaria-Lautureo explains the prevailing hypothesis that primates evolved in a tropical climate
•[02:54] Evolutionary biologist Chris Venditti introduces evidence suggesting a different origin climate.
•[03:54] Avaria discusses how the researchers reconstructed the climate of early primate species.
•[05:05] Venditti and Avaria explain why it was important to use standardized climate definitions in this study.
•[07:29] Avaria describes the results of the study.
•[08:18]Venditti talks about the importance of understanding early primates' climates.
•[09:21] Avaria and Venditti talk about the study's caveats and limitations.
•[10:22] Conclusion.

About Our Guests:

Jorge Avaria-Llautureo
Postdoctoral scholar
University of Reading

Chris Venditti
Professor
University of Reading

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2423833122

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