This is a list of fossil primates—extinct primates for which a fossil record exists. Primates are generally thought to have evolved from a small, unspecialized mammal, which probably fed on insects and fruits. However, the precise source of the primates remains controversial and even their arboreal origin has recently been questioned. As it has been suggested, many other mammal orders are arboreal too, but they have not developed the same characteristics as primates. Nowadays, some well known genera, such as Purgatorius and Plesiadapis, thought to be the most ancient primates for a long time, are not usually considered as such by recent authors, who tend to include them in the new order Plesiadapiformes, within superorder Euarchontoglires. Some, to avoid confusions, employ the unranked term Euprimates, which excludes Plesiadapiformes. That denomination is not used here.

There is an academic debate on the time the first primates appeared. One of the earliest probable primate fossils is the problematic Altiatlasius koulchii, perhaps an Omomyid, but perhaps a non-Primate Plesiadapiform, which lived in Morocco, during the Paleocene, around 60 Ma. However, other studies, including molecular clock studies, have estimated the origin of the primate branch to have been in the mid-Cretaceous period, around 85 Ma, that is to say, in the time previous to the extinction of dinosaurs and the successful mammal radiation. Nevertheless, there seems to be a consensus about the monophyletic origin of the order, although the evidence is not clear.

The order Primates, established by Linnaeus in 1758, includes humans and their immediate ancestors. However, contrarily to the common opinion, most primates do not have especially large brains. Brain size is a derived character, which only appeared with genus Homo, and was lacking in the first hominid. In fact, hominid encephalization quotient is only 1.5 Ma more recent than that of some dolphin species. The encephalization quotient of some cetaceans is therefore higher than that of most primates, including the nearest relatives of humans, such as Australopithecus.

This list follows partly from Walter Carl Hartwig's 2002 book The Fossil Primate Record and John G. Fleagle's 2013 book Primate Adaptation and Evolution (3rd edition). Parentheses around authors' names (and dates) indicates a change in generic name for the fossil, as stated in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Since the publication of the book as well as the creation of this article, new fossil taxon have been discovered that has helped improved the taxonomy among primates in general.

Strepsirrhini

Infraorder Adapiformes

Adapiformes, incertae sedis Sulaimanius Gunnell et al., 2012 Sulaimanius arifi (Gunnell et al., 2008)

Adapoidea

Ekgmowechashalidae Szalay, 1976 Bugtilemur Marivaux et al., 2001 Bugtilemur mathesoni Marivaux et al., 2001 Ekgmowechashala Macdonald, 1963 Ekgmowechashala philotau Macdonald, 1963 Ekgmowechashala zancanellai Samuels, Albright & Fremd, 2015 Gatanthropus Ni et al., 2016 Gatanthropus micros Ni et al., 2016 Muangthanhinius Marivaux et al., 2006 Muangthanhinius siami Marivaux et al., 2006 Notharctidae Trouessart, 1879 Notharctinae Trouessart, 1879 Cantius Simons, 1962 Cantius abditus Gingerich & Simmons, 1977 Cantius angulatus Cope, 1875 Cantius antediluvius Kihm, 1992 Cantius eppsi Cooper, 1932 Cantius frugivorus Cope, 1875 Cantius lohseorum Robinson, 2016 Cantius mckennai Gingerich & Simons, 1977 Cantius nuniensis Cope, 1881 Cantius ralstoni Matthew, 1915 Cantius savagei Gingerich, 1977 Cantius torresi Gingerich, 1986 Copelemur Gingerich & Simons, 1977 Copelemur australotutus Beard, 1988 Copelemur praetutus Gazin, 1962 Copelemur tutus Cope, 1877 Hesperolemur Gunnell, 1995 Hesperolemur actius Gunnell, 1995 Megaceralemur Robinson, 2016 Megaceralemur trigonodus (Matthew, 1915) Megaceralemur matthewi Robinson, 2016 Notharctus Leidy, 1870 Notharctus pugnax Granger & Gregory, 1917 Notharctus robustior Leidy, 1870 Notharctus tenebrosus Leidy, 1870 Notharctus venticolus Osborn, 1902 Pelycodus Cope, 1875 Pelycodus danielsae Froehlich & Lucas, 1991 Pelycodus jarrovii Cope, 1874 Pinolophus Robinson, 2016 Pinolophus meikei Robinson, 2016 Smilodectes Wortman, 1903 Smilodectes gingerichi Beard, 1988 Smilodectes gracilis Marsh, 1871 Smilodectes mcgrewi Gingerich, 1979 Cercamoniinae Gingerich, 1975 Agerinia Crusafont-Pairo & Golpe-Posse, 1973 Agerinia marandati Femenias-Gual, Minwer-Barakat, Marigó, Poyatos-Moré, and Moyà-Solà, 2017 Agerinia roselli Crusafont-Pairo & Golpe-Posse, 1973 Agerinia smithorum Femenias-Gual, Minwer-Barakat, Marigó, and Moyà-Solà, 2016 Anchomomys Stehlin, 1916 Anchomomys crocheti Godinot, 1988 Anchomomys gaillardi Stehlin, 1916 Anchomomys pygmaeus Rütimeyer, 1890 Anchomomys quercy Stehlin, 1916 Barnesia Thalmann, 1994 Barnesia hauboldi Thalmann, 1994 Buxella Godinot, 1988 Buxella magna Godinot, 1988 Buxella prisca Godinot, 1988 Donrussellia Szalay, 1976 Donrussellia gallica Russell, Louis & Savage, 1967 Donrussellia louisi Donrussellia magna Donrussellia provincialis Donrussellia russelli Mazateronodon Marigó, Minwer-Barakat, & Moyà-Solà, 2010 Mazateronodon endemicus Marigó, Minwer-Barakat, & Moyà-Solà, 2010 Panobius Russell & Gingerich, 1987 Panobius afridi Russell & Gingerich, 1987 Periconodon Stehlin, 1916 Periconodon helleri Schwartz et al., 1983 Periconodon helveticus Rütimeyer, 1891 Periconodon huerzeleri Gingerich, 1977 Periconodon jaegeri Godinot, 1988 Periconodon lemoinei Gingerich, 1977 Protoadapis Lemoine, 1878 Protoadapis angustidens Filhol, 1888 Protoadapis brachyrhynchus Stehlin, 1912 Protoadapis curvicuspidens Lemoine, 1878 Protoadapis ignoratus Thalmann, 1994 Protoadapis muechelnensis Thalmann, 1994 Protoadapis recticuspidens Lemoine, 1878 Protoadapis weigelti Gingerich, 1977 Pronycticebus Grandidier, 1904 Pronycticebus gaudryi Grandidier, 1904 Pronycticebus neglectus Thalmann et al., 1989 Asiadapidae Rose et al., 2009 Anthrasimias Bajpai et al., 2008 Anthrasimias gujaratensis Bajpai et al., 2008 Asiadapis Rose et al., 2007 Asiadapis cambayensis Rose et al., 2007 Asiadapis tapiensis Rose et al., 2018 Marcgodinotius Bajpai et al., 2005 Marcgodinotius indicus Bajpai et al., 2005 Adapidae Trouessart, 1879 Adapinae Trouesart, 1879 Adapis Cuvier, 1821 Adapis bruni Adapis collinsonae Hooker, 1986 Adapis parisiensis de Blainville, 1841 Adapis sudrei Gingerich, 1977 Cryptadapis Godinot, 1984 Cryptadapis laharpei Godinot, 1984 Cryptadapis tertius Godinot, 1984 Leptadapis Gervais, 1876 Leptadapis assolicus Leptadapis filholi Godinot & Couette, 2008 Leptadapis capellae Crusafont-Pairo, 1967 Leptadapis leenhardti Stehlin, 1912 Leptadapis magnus Filhol, 1874 Leptadapis ruetimeyeri Stehlin, 1912 Magnadapis Godinot & Couette, 2008 Magnadapis quercyi Godinot & Couette, 2008 Magnadapis fredi Godinot & Couette, 2008 Magnadapis laurenceae Godinot & Couette, 2008 Magnadapis intermedius Godinot & Couette, 2008 Microadapis Szalay, 1974 Microadapis lynnae Microadapis sciureus Stehlin, 1916 Palaeolemur Delfortrie, 1873 Palaeolemur betillei Delfortrie, 1873 Paradapis Tattersall & Schwartz 1983 Paradapis ruetimeyeri Stehlin 1912 Paradapis priscus Stehlin, 1916 Caenopithecinae Szalay & Delson 1979 Adapoides Beard et al., 1994 Adapoides troglodytes Beard et al., 1994 Afradapis Seiffert et al., 2009 Afradapis longicristatus Seiffert et al., 2009 Aframonius Simons et al., 1995 Aframonius diedes Simons et al., 1995 Caenopithecus Rütimeyer, 1862 Caenopithecus lemuroides Rütimeyer, 1862 Darwinius Franzen et al., 2009 Darwinius masillae Franzen et al., 2009 Europolemur Weigelt, 1933 Europolemur dunaifi Tattersall & Schwartz, 1983 Europolemur klatti Weigelt, 1933 Europolemur koenigswald Franzen, 1987 Godinotia Franzen, 2000 Godinotia neglecta Thalmann, Haubold & Martin, 1989 Mahgarita Wilson & Szalay, 1976 Mahgarita stevensi Wilson & Szalay, 1976 Masradapis Seiffert, Boyer, Fleagle, Gunnell, Heesy, Perry, Sallam, 2017 Masradapis tahai Seiffert, Boyer, Fleagle, Gunnell, Heesy, Perry, and Sallam, 2017 Mescalerolemur Kirk & Williams, 2011 Mescalerolemur horneri Kirk & Williams, 2011 Sivaladapidae Thomas & Verma, 1979 Ramadapis Gilbert, Patel, Singh, Campisano, Fleagle, Rust, and Patnaik, 2017 Ramadapis sahnii Gilbert, Patel, Singh, Campisano, Fleagle, Rust, and Patnaik, 2017 Sivaladapinae Thomas & Verma, 1979 Indraloris Lewis, 1933 Indraloris himalayensis Pilgrim, 1932 Indraloris kamlialensis Flynn and Morgan, 2005 Sinoadapis Wu & Pan, 1985 Sinoadapis carnosus Wu & Pan, 1985 Sivaladapis Gingerich & Sahni, 1979 Sivaladapis nagrii Prasad, 1970 Sivaladapis palaendicus Pilgrim, 1932 Hoanghoniinae Gingerich et al., 1994 Hoanghonius Zdansky, 1930 Hoanghonius stehlini Zdansky, 1930 Lushius Chow, 1961 Lushius qinlinensis Chow, 1961 Rencunius Gingerich et al., 1994 Rencunius zhoui Gingerich et al., 1994 Wailekia Ducrocq et al., 1995 Wailekia orientale Ducrocq et al., 1995 incertae sedis Guangxilemur Qi & Beard, 1998 Guangxilemur tongi Qi & Beard, 1998 Kyitchaungia Beard et al. 2007 Kyitchaungia takaii Beard et al. 2007 Laomaki Ni et al. 2016 Laomaki yunnanensis Ni et al. 2016 Paukkaungia Beard et al. 2007 Paukkaungia parva Beard et al. 2007 Siamoadapis Chaimanee et al., 2007 Siamoadapis maemohensis Chaimanee et al., 2007 Yunnanadapis Ni et al. 2016 Yunnanadapis folivorus Ni et al. 2016 Yunnanadapis imperator Ni et al. 2016

Infraorder Chiromyiformes Daubentoniidae Gray, 1863 Daubentonia É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1795 Daubentonia robusta Lamberton, 1934 Plesiopithecidae Simons and Rasmussen, 1994 Plesiopithecus Simons, 1992 Plesiopithecus teras Simons, 1992 Propottidae Butler, 1984 Propotto Simpson, 1967 Propotto leakeyi Simpson, 1967

Infraorder Lemuriformes

Basal stem group Lemuriformes Family Azibiidae Gingerich, 1976 Algeripithecus Godinot & Mahboubi, 1992 Algeripithecus minutus Godinot & Mahboubi, 1992 Azibius Sudre, 1975 Azibius trerki Sudre, 1975 Djebelemuridae Hartenberger and Marandat, 1992 unnamed ('Anchomomys') 'Anchomomys' milleri Simons, 1997 Djebelemur Hartenberger and Marandat, 1992 Djebelemur martinezi Hartenberger & Marandat, 1992 Namaia Pickford et al., 2008 Namaia bogenfelsi Pickford et al., 2008 Omanodon Gheerbrant et al., 1993 Omanodon minor Gheerbrant et al., 1993 Shizarodon Gheerbrant et al., 1993 Shizarodon dhofarensis Gheerbrant et al., 1993 Plesiopithecidae Simons and Rasmussen, 1994 Plesiopithecus Simons, 1992 Plesiopithecus teras Simons, 1992

Lemuroidea Subfossil lemurs:

Archaeolemuridae G. Grandier, 1905 Archaeolemur Filhol, 1895 Archaeolemur edwardsi Filhol, 1895 Archaeolemur majori Filhol, 1895 Hadropithecus Lorenz von Liburnau, 1899 Hadropithecus stenognathus Lorenz von Liburnau, 1899 Palaeopropithecidae Tattersall, 1973 Mesopropithecus Standing, 1905 Mesopropithecus dolichobrachion Simons et al., 1995 Mesopropithecus globiceps Lamberton, 1936 Mesopropithecus pithecoides Standing, 1905 Babakotia Godfrey et al., 1990 Babakotia radofilai Godfrey et al., 1990 Palaeopropithecus G. Grandidier, 1899 Palaeopropithecus ingens G. Grandidier, 1899 Palaeopropithecus kelyus Gommery et al., 2010 Palaeopropithecus maximus Standing, 1903 Archaeoindris Standing, 1909 Archaeoindris fontoynontii Standing, 1909 Megaladapidae Forsyth-Major, 1894 Megaladapis Forsyth-Major, 1894 Subgenus: Megaladapis Megaladapis (Megaladapis) grandidieri Standing, 1903 Megaladapis (Megaladapis) madagascariensis Forsyth-Major, 1894 Subgenus: Peloriadapis Megaladapis (Peloriadapis) edwardsi Grandidier, 1899 Lemuridae Gray, 1821 Pachylemur Lamberton, 1946 Pachylemur insignis Filhol, 1895 Pachylemur jullyi Lamberton, 1948

Lorisiformes Lorisidae Gray, 1821 Karanisia Seiffert et al., 2003