Cenozoic Primates of Eastern Eurasia (Russia and Adjacent Areas) EVGENY N
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ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE Vol. 113, 103–115, 2005 Cenozoic Primates of eastern Eurasia (Russia and adjacent areas) EVGENY N. MASCHENKO1* 1Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsouyznaya Street 123, 117995 Moscow, Russia Received 19 May 2003; accepted 7 May 2004 Abstract In the Eocene, distribution of the order Primates in the northern part of eastern Eurasia was confined to Mongolia. A form of Omomyidae (Altanius orlovi) is represented. Northern Eurasian pri- mates attributed to later times cover the interval between the Late Miocene (Late Turolian) to the Mid- dle Pleistocene (Mindel–Riss). Primates are distributed in the western part of eastern Eurasia (Moldavia, Ukraine), Transcaucasus (Georgia, Iranian Azerbaijan) and Central Asia (Tadjikistan, Afghanistan, Transbaikalian, Mongolia). The total number of known primate taxa is not large: seven genera and eleven species in three families (Omomyidae, Hominidae, Cercopithecidae). The Neogene and Pleistocene representatives of the order Primates comprise either widely distributed Eurasian forms or endemic taxa. The distribution pattern of primates in the western and eastern part of eastern Eurasia can be interpreted in relation to links with African and East Asian faunal provinces. By the Late Pleistocene all non-human representatives of the order Primates in the northern part of eastern Eurasia became extinct. Key words: Eocene, late Cenozoic, eastern Eurasia, Cercopithecoidea, Hominoidea Introduction Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; GIN, Geological Institute, Russian Acad- The early history of the order Primates from the eastern emy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; GIN U, Geological Insti- part of Eurasia reflects the restructuring of the mammalian tute Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan- faunas of Eurasia and North America that occurred at the Ude, Russia; ZIN, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Paleocene–Eocene boundary at about 57 Ma. The appear- Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia. ance of the order Primates in Asia is interrelated with the advent of certain groups of American mammals in Asia. The most ancient finds of primates from Asia are dated to the Eocene Primates of the Northern Part Early Eocene (Tsagan Khushu, Mongolia in the southern of Eastern Eurasia Gobi) (Dashzeveg and McKenna, 1977; Gingerich et al., Family Omomyidae Trouessart, 1879 1991; Maschenko, 2002). Altanius Dashzeveg and McKenna, 1977 Primates became a frequent component of the mammalian Altanius orlovi Dashzeveg and McKenna, 1977 faunas of the Late Miocene of Russia and adjacent areas (Late Turolian, MN 11–13, about 8 Ma). In terms of zooge- This is the most ancient and the only Asian representative ography, the southern part of eastern Europe, theTranscauca- of the family Omomyidae. Altanius orlovi is one of the sus, and Central Asia were part of the Mediterranean smallest and most specialized representatives of the order province. The taxonomic composition of primates of this Primates. Morphologically it is close to North American area during this time span does not differ much from that of anaptomorphines. It is distinguished by a reduced P4 talonid. typical Mediterranean faunas, except in the presence of Metaconid is well expressed in the P4. The M1 trigonid is some endemic species. Primates of this area are represented open, and the paraconid is cone-shaped and not reduced. The by one genus (and species) of Hominoidea, Dryopithecus, M3 has a large paraconid displaced lingually and an elon- and by one genus and two? species of the subfamily Colobi- gated talonid. nae (Table 1). During the Late Miocene, the apes apparently Additional studies of A. orlovi revealed two forms (spe- became extinct. Later, in the Early Pliocene and Pleistocene, cies?) with similar dental morphology that differ only in Central Asia was most probably linked zoogeographically size. The status of the larger form of Altanius sp. is unclear. with Africa. Such a link would explain the distribution of The larger form has a 30% deeper mandibular corpus than some cercopithecid genera of African affinity. the smaller one. Differences between the two forms in post- Abbreviations in the text and figures are as follows: PIN, canine tooth size are insignificant. A more precise evalua- tion may be possible when more data are available on * Corresponding author. e-mail: [email protected] variability and sexual dimorphism of the species phone: 7-095-116-49-71; fax: 7-095-339-06-22 (Maschenko, 2001, 2002). Published online 10 December 2004 Distribution. Late Paleocene(?)–Early Eocene, Tsagan in J-STAGE (www.jstage.jst.go.jp) DOI: 10.1537/ase.04S015 Khushu locality, Gashatan-Bumbanian, southern Mongolia, © 2004 The Anthropological Society of Nippon 103 104 E.N. MASCHENKO ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE Central Asia. Superfamily Hominoidea Gray, 1825 Dryopithecus Lartet, 1856 Late Miocene Primates of Russia and Dryopithecus (Udabnopithecus) garedzianus the Adjacent Areas (Burchak-Abramovich and Gabashvili, 1945) In 1908, Professor V.D. Laskarev reported finds of Oreo- This taxon is represented by a right P4 and M1 in a small pithecus sp. from Kalfa, Moldavia (Late Turolian) upper jaw fragment. The fossil is housed in the State (Laskarev, 1908) (Figure 1). The material, on which the Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi. This is a small-sized Dryopith- communication was based, was later lost. However, given ecus (Figure 2), the only representative of the genus from the that the tribe Oreopithecini is endemic to central Italy, the geographical area considered in the present review. It indi- report may by unreliable. The taxonomy of primates from cates a possible link with Dryopithecus of eastern Europe. the Kalfa locality remains uncertain. So, by the beginning of This demonstrates that links between the Mediterranean and the Ruscinian, no hominoid representatives are known from Asia were maintained through the Transcaucasus, hence the the geographic area considered in this review, whereas Cer- zoogeographic significance of this specimen. copithecidae became more abundant. Several finds from Both teeth are little worn. Tooth dimensions are: P4 southern Russia were known from the beginning of the 20th length, 6.9 mm; P4 width, 10.1 mm; M1 length, 9.0 mm; M1 century (Homenko, 1915). At the end of the Miocene, cerco- width, 10.3 mm. The P4 crown is bicuspid and has three pithecids became a common component of the Hipparion roots. The protocone is the largest cusp. The mesiodistal faunas of Moldavia, Ukraine, Georgia, northern Iran and crown diameter is greater lingually than buccally. A cingu- Afghanistan. Out of the five known Miocene primate locali- lum is present on the lingual side of the crown. The M1 ties, Dryopithecidae is present in one locality and Colobinae crown is four-cusped and has three roots. The paracone and in four localities (Gremiatskiy, 1958, 1962; Burchak-Abra- metacone are larger than the protocone and hypocone. The movich, 1967, 1973; Maschenko, 1989). cingulum is weak and present at the buccal side of the crown (Burchak-Abramovich and Gabashvili, 1945; Gabunia et al., Order Primates 2001). Gen. indet.? Distribution. Late Miocene (Upper Maeotian, MN 11– 12?), Udabno locality, Sagaredgi district, eastern Georgia The list of mammals of the Hipparion fauna from the (Figure 1B). Eldar locality, eastern Georgia, contains an entry “the skull of monkey.” No systematic position was determined for this Subfamily Colobinae Blyth, 1875 specimen, and no description is known (Gremiatskiy, 1957; Mesopithecus Wagner, 1839 Burchak-Abramovich, 1967). All Late Miocene mammalian Mesopithecus ucrainicus Gremiatskiy, 1953 materials from this locality were collected before 1917 and lost in 1918. This taxon is represented by PIN 1997-4, a left maxillary Distribution. Late Miocene (Upper Sarmatian, MN 12?), fragment with P4–M3 (Gremiatskiy, 1957, 1961; Eldar locality, eastern Georgia (Figure 1B). Maschenko, 1989) (Figure 3). It is a small-sized species of Mesopithecus. The largest tooth is the M2. The M3 does not Figure 1. Major primate localities. (A) Map of the southern part of eastern Europe. (B) Map of the Transcaucasus area. 1, Kalfa, Moldavia; 2, Eldar, Georgia; 3, Udabno, Georgia; 4, Grebeniki 1 and 2, Ukraine; 5, Petroverovka (Novopetrovka), Ukraine; 6, Budey, Moldavia; 7, Gavanosa, Moldavia; 8, Maragha, Iran; 9, Zotven, Ukraine; 10, Novopetrovka, Ukraine; 11, Voynichevo, Ukraine; 12, Kuchurgan (Voynichevo), Ukraine; 13, Kotlovina, Ukraine; 14, Kudaro 1, Georgia. Vol. 113, 2005 CENOZOIC PRIMATES OF EASTERN EURASIA 105 Figure 2. Right upper P4 and M1 of Dryopithecus garedzianus from the Udabno locality, Georgia, Late Miocene (from Burchak- Abramovich and Gabashvili, 1945). (A) P4 occlusal view; (B) P4 mesial view; (C) M1 occlusal view; (D) M1 mesial view. Figure 3. Fragment of left maxilla of Mesopithecus ucrainicus have a markedly reduced distal part of the crown, although from the Grebeniki 1 locality, Ukraine, Late Turolian. PIN 1997-4: (A) its mesial transverse diameter is 25% larger than the distal occlusal view; (B) lingual view. transverse diameter. Relief of the molar crowns is moder- ately high. The P4 is bicuspid, and the cingulum is well developed on the distolingual surface of the crown. The length of the P4–M3 tooth row is 25.1 mm. mandible is housed in the Natural History Museum, Paris, Distribution. Late Miocene (Late Turolian/Upper Maeo- collection number MRG 1905-10; the location of the other tian, MN 13?), Grebeniki 1 locality, Velikomichailovskiy specimens