Monkeys sailed from Africa to Amazon 34 million years ago, new study find

The great odyssey was made by extinct African monkeys from Egypt

An extinct species of monkey the size of a marmoset conquered the Atlantic Ocean 34 million years ago and sailed from Africa to South America, according to a study.

Four fossilised monkey teeth found in the Peruvian Amazon helped researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) uncover the tale of the sailing primates.

The incredible feat occurred when the continents were closer together than they are today and the likely distance of the voyage was around 900 miles (1,450km).

The crossing is thought to have occurred when sea levels dropped, allowing the animals, called Ucayalipithecus perdita, to make the intrepid trip to the New World.

Scientists claim the monkeys cobbled together floating rafts of vegetation that broke off from coastlines, possibly during a storm, to form their vessel.


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8205381/Monkeys-sailed-Atlantic-Ocean-34-million-years-ago.html

Clever little buggers, using celestial navigation.