Fossils of
Patasola, a small insectivorous/frugivorous primate, were discovered in both the
La Victoria and
Villavieja Formations above and below the "Monkey Beds" of the
Honda Group, that has been dated to the
Laventan, about 13.4 to 11.8 Ma. The type mandible of
Patasola magdalenae is a juvenile specimen. The estimated weight of
Patasola was , similar in size to the extant genus
Leontopithecus. The genus is included in the
Callitrichidae, after an initial description as an intermediate between the Callitrichidae and
Saimiri.
Habitat The Honda Group, and more precisely the "Monkey Beds", are the richest site for
fossil primates in South America. It has been argued that the monkeys of the Honda Group were living in habitat that was in contact with the
Amazon and
Orinoco Basins, and that La Venta itself was probably seasonally dry forest. The authors of the publication about
Patasola however suggests the presence of
rain forest. == See also ==