A newly identified primate species from Wyoming is challenging a long-standing model of early primate evolution. The species, Tetonius varleyorum, lived about 55 million years ago and combines primitive and advanced dental traits that do not fit the previously proposed straight-line evolutionary sequence. The fossils suggest early primate evolution involved branching lineages rather than simple, gradual transformation. Researchers say the new species likely split from an early Tetonius-Pseudotetonius lineage, with related groups later developing similar jaw and tooth features independently through parallel evolution. The discovery highlights the importance of looking beyond Wyoming’s famous Bighorn Basin. Fossils from Smiley Draw reveal a different and unusually diverse primate community, suggesting geography, habitat and timing played major roles in shaping early primate evolution across North America. Tiny fossil teeth from southern Wyoming are changing a familiar story about early primate evolution. A new University of Kansas study describes a previously unknown primate species and shows that ancient primates in North America followed a more tangled path than scientists once believed. The research focuses on fossils from Smiley Draw …