I know squirrels are rodents, but I admit I have come to both enjoy and admire them over time!
I think it is because they are like some subspecies of humans…they remind me of us…
You’re theory that squirrels are similar to primates is pretty accurate. The first primate-like mammals are referred to as proto-primates. They were roughly similar to squirrels and tree shrews in size and appearance. It is a good example of convergent evolution where an arboreal existence exerts natural selection pressures to evolve similar physical attributes, intelligence, and behaviors.