How Primates Spread Across the Globe – Matthew Borths

How did primates first evolve, and how did they spread across the globe? In this episode, Dr Matthew Borths takes us on a journey through the fossil record of Africa, Madagascar, and North America, explaining what ancient primates can tell us about our own evolutionary history.

Dr Borths, paleontologist and curator at the Duke Lemur Center Museum of Natural History, shares his career path and what first inspired his passion for paleontology. He reflects on the historical figures who shaped the field and discusses major fossil discoveries from Wyoming, the Fayum Depression in Egypt, and subfossil sites in Madagascar. Topics include early primate evolution, the first monkeys, recently extinct giant lemurs, aye-aye evolution, and what these finds reveal about lost ecosystems. He also highlights the importance of public engagement, science communication, and connecting the past to modern conservation.