Canal expansion reveals oldest monkey fossil on continent

THE FOSSIL remains of the "oldest monkey in the Americas," dating back 20 million years, have been discovered during Panama Canal widening excavations.

 News of the latest discovery comes from a group of scientists who analyzed several years of excavation areas.

Paleontological research excavation sites to expand the waterway were developed for five years, and some of its details were presented Friday, April 26 by scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI, based in Panama.
"We recently came across a monkey, the most primitive that exists today in the Americas, and it came from Africa, and we do not know how it came to Panama, said Colombian scientist and geologist Carlos Jaramillo.
Details on "the oldest monkey" of the continent will be explained in an "article that will come out in the next two months and will have much resonance in the world," said Jaramillo, Colombian geologist.
Studies were done in the recently completed excavation areas as they began concrete fillings for the Canal expansion project, expected to begin operations in the first half of 2015.
Jaramillo said that over the five years of research fossils of many animals about 20 million years old were found, and many of the findings have been documented in scientific publications. They found remains of an alligator skull, according to research, was able to reach North America from Africa and is the oldest on the continent, as well as fossils of turtles, snakes, bats, rhinos, miniature camels and even a bear-dog