Primate Divergence Times

I have an active research collaboration with Michael Steiper (CUNY-Hunter College) focusing on the comparison of rates of molecular evolution and estimates for divergence times of primate lineages. Previously, we demonstrated that primate divergence times may be significantly older than is generally appreciated, partly because calibration dates (themselves underestimates of speciation events) contribute the greatest amount of variance to calculations. We argue from our results that when error is properly accounted, molecular-based divergence estimates provide a framework for interpreting taxa that is independent of characterizations based on living species, a fact that can be used to help identify cryptic fossil stem lineages.