Omomyidae

Omomyidae is an extinct family of primates known from the fossil record. They are commonly treated as early haplorhines and are widely considered to be close relatives of modern tarsiers, though their precise relationships to other primate groups remain debated. The group lived during the Paleocene to Eocene epochs, roughly 58 to 34 million years ago, with fossils found in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Anatomically, omomyids were small to medium-sized primates. Many species show large orbits and short snouts, features associated with nocturnal activity, though there was substantial ecological diversity within the family. Dental and skeletal adaptations indicate a range of diets, including insectivory and frugivory, and locomotor modes that included leaping and arboreal quadrupedalism.

Omomyidae is important for understanding early haplorhine evolution and the origins of tarsiers. The group persisted into the late Eocene, after which many lineages went extinct during the Eocene–Oligocene transition as climate and ecological conditions changed. Some researchers view omomyids as stem haplorhines that illuminate the split between tarsiers and anthropoids, while others emphasize their distinctive lineage. See also Tarsiformes and Haplorhini for related topics.