DOCSLIB.ORG

New Species of Nyanzapithecus from Nachola, Northern Kenya

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
New Species of Nyanzapithecus from Nachola, Northern Kenya Anthropol. Sci. 105(2), 117-141, 1997 New Species of Nyanzapithecus from Nachola, Northern Kenya YUTAKA KUNIMATSU Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin, Inuyama-shi, Aichi-ken, 484 Japan Received April 11, 1997 Abstract Nyanzapithecus is a genus of East African Miocene apes, which has been suggested to be an ancestral stock of oreopithecids. A new species of this genus, Nyanzapithecus harrisoni, is described in this article. The description is based on the material discovered from Nachola, a middle Miocene fossil locality (ca. 15 m.y.a.) in northern Kenya. N. harrisoni is slightly smaller than the previously known N. pickfordi and N. vancouveringorum, but shares with them such unique dental characters as elongated molar crowns, quite inflated cusps, and restricted occlusal basins and foveae. The presence of the new Nyanzapithecus species in Nachola has expanded the distribution and diversity of this genus, and suggests that oreopithecids may have been a relatively common element in the middle Miocene primate fauna of East Africa. Key Words: hominoids, oreopithecids, Nyanzapithecus, East Africa, Miocene INTRODUCTION The field research by the Japan-Kenya Joint Project has discovered hundreds of fossil primates from Nachola, a middle Miocene fossil locality in northern Kenya. The primate sample mainly consists of middle-sized hominoid fossils assigned to Kenyapithecus (Ishida et al., 1984), but it also contains about twenty specimens of a small Miocene hominoid (Kunimatsu, 1992a). Although the small hominoid sample from Nachola only contains isolated teeth and a mandibular fragment, the dental morphology indicates that it belongs to Nyanzapithecus (Kunimatsu, 1992a). The Nachola sample, however, can be distinguished in size and some morphological features from the previous species of Nyanzapithecus known from western Kenya, and deserves to be separated from them as a new species. The present study aims to describe the morphology of the new species in details, with comparisons to the other two species of Nyanzapithecus. Nyanzapithecus is a unique Miocene ape discovered from East Africa. The genus was proposed by Harrison (1986a), when he described the sample of a small catarrhine primate from the middle Miocene deposits in Maboko Island, western Kenya. Harrison named the Maboko sample as N. pickfordi, and he also transferred to the new genus a smaller species of Rangwapithecus, which had been known previously as Rangwapithecus vancouveringorum from the early Miocene localities in western Kenya. (Andrews, 1974, 1978). 118 Y. KUNIMATSU The presence of Nyanzapithecus in the early to middle Miocene of Kenya is quite interesting, because the dental morphology suggests that Nyanzapithecus is likely to be an ancestral stock of Oreopithecus, a unique and enigmatic fossil primate discovered from the late Miocene of Italy (Harrison, 1986a). Fragmentary evidence suggests that some other kinds of oreopithecids may have existed in the East African Miocene (Koenigswald, 1969; Harrison, 1986a, 1992). The recognition of a new species of Nyanzapithecus in the Nachola sample further extends the geographical distribution and the diversity of African oreopithecids. The origin of oreopithecids, therefore, may be traced back to the early/middle Miocene East Africa. It is important to study the African oreopithecids in understanding the origin of the modern hominoids, because the postcranial evidence of Oreopithecus suggests that it is in close relationship with the modern hominoids (Harrison, 1986b; Sarmiento, 1987). Unfortunately, the postcranium of Nyanzapithecus is only poorly known (McCrossin, 1992), and the oreopithecid status of Nyanzapithecus is a tentative hypothesis at present. Geological background Nachola is located on the eastern side of the Suguta Valley (=a part of the Eastern Rift Valley), ca. 350 km north of Nairobi. In Nachola, the Miocene series unconform- ably overlays the Precambrian basement. This series consists of volcanic and sedimen- tary rocks, and is divided into the Aka Aiteputh and Nachola Formations. The fossil primates were discovered from the Aka Aiteputh Formation along with abundant petrified wood (Sawada et al., in press). The fossil bearing sediments are sandwiched by volcanic rocks, and the age of the primate fossils was estimated by K-Ar method as 13 to 15 m.y.a. (Itaya and Sawada, in press). An analysis of the mammal- ian fauna suggests that the age might be slightly older (Pickford and Kuga, in press). Material All specimens of Nyanzapithecus in the present study were discovered from the site BG-X in Nachola during the field seasons of 1984 and 1986. Among the fossil sites in Nachola, the site BG-X is the most productive with plenty of primate fossils. From the site BG-X and some other sites in Nachola, a number of fossils of a middle-sized hominoid, which are tentatively assigned to Kenyapithecus sp., have been found (Ishida et al., 1984). However, Nyanzapithecus is a relatively rare element in the primate fauna of Nachola. SYSTEMATICS Order: Primates Linnaeus, 1758 Suborder: Anthropoidea Mivart, 1864 Infraorder: Catarrhini Geoffroy, 1812 Superfamily: Hominoidea Gray, 1825 New Species of Nyanzapithecus from Nachola, Northern Kenya 119 Family: Oreopithecidae Schwalbe, 1915 Genus: Nyanzapithecus Harrison, 1986a Species: Nyanzapithecus harrisoni sp. nov. Diagnosis A species of Nyanzapithecus which differs from N. vancouveringorum in the following features: smaller size (the average size of upper M2 being ca . 83% of that in N. vancouveringorum); upper molar higher-crowned; molar cusps more inflated and higher; occlusal basins and foveae more restricted; occlusal outline of the upper molars tending to taper distally; lingual cingulum of upper molars more distinct and wider and slightly approaching toward the cervix lingually; upper M3 crown much shorter; lower molar relatively short (especially M3); lower P4 more elongated; mandible more gracile . N. harrisoni differs from N. pickfordi in the following features: smaller size (the average size of the upper M2 being ca. 75% of that in N. pickfordi); upper and lower molar crowns much less elongated; lingual cingulum of the upper molars with less developed mesial part and better-developed lingual part, slightly approaching toward the cervix lingually; hypocone linked to the protocone instead of the crista obliqua; less waisted upper molar crown; hypoconulid on lower M3 tending to be located more medially; lower P3 having a weak but continuous buccal cingulum . Holotype KNM-BG15237: an isolated right upper M2 crown . The holotype and other specimens in the hypodigm are stored in the National Museums of Kenya (KNM) in Nairobi. The prefix BG indicates that the specimen comes from Nachola near Baragoi . Type Locality BG-X, Nachola, near Baragoi, northern Kenya Distribution Middle Miocene of Nachola (13-15 Ma) Hypodigm Twenty three isolated teeth and one mandibular fragment from Nachola are assigned to Nyanzapithecus harrisoni (Table 1). Detailed descriptions of the specimens except for a lower P4 (KNM-BG17862) were given previously in Kunimatsu (1992a) . The dental material includes upper and lower molars and lower third and fourth premolars . Etymology After Terry Harrison, who contributed much to the study of the East African Miocene primates. 120 Y. KUNIMATSU Table 1. Hypodigm of Nyanzapithecus harrisoni DESCRIPTION Mandible The mandibular fragment preserves part of the right corpus anterior to the P4/M1 boundary and the symphyseal region up to the level of the left canine. The crowns of the teeth are missing except for the right lower P3. The roots of the incisors, canines and right P4 remain in the alveoli. The distal half of the left canine root is exposed. A crack runs superoinferiorly in the mandibular body between the right canine and P3. The surface bone is missing from the buccal aspect at the level of the right canine. The labial surface of the symphysis is depressed by the postmortem deformation. The inferior border of the symphysis is slightly broken, but it appears that the inferior transverse torus is absent or very poorly developed. The superior transverse torus is developed about one third midway up from the inferior border, and extends posteriorly to the level of P3. The mandible is relatively gracile. New Species of Nyanzapithecus from Nachola, Northern Kenya 121 Upper Molars The upper Ml has a rounded occlusal outline. The preservation of the specimens is not good, as both specimens are weathered and/or lacking enamel. The crown is slightly longer than broad with the average length/breadth index of 106.0% (Table 1 and Fig. 1). The cusps are rounded cones of moderate height. The degree of cusp inflation seems weaker than in the upper M2, but this may possibly be a result of damage. The paracone, metacone and hypocone are similar in size, and the protocone is slightly larger. The distal cingulum adjacent to the hypocone is slightly swollen, contributing to the restriction of the talon basin. The occlusal crests are low, rounded, and poorly- developed. The mesial crest of the protocone runs mesiobuccally and ends at the slightly developed protoconule. The lingual cingulum is well-developed, and forms a broad and continuous C-shaped shelf surrounding the mesial and lingual aspects of the protocone. This shelf starts from the protoconule, and runs slightly up toward the cervix to end at the mesial aspect of the hypocone. The upper M2 is as long as broad or only slightly broarder than long (Table 2 and Fig. 2). The length/breadth index ranges between 97.1 and 100.0% with the average being 98.2%. The occlusal outline is more squared than in Ml, and the distal moiety is slightly narrower than the mesial moiety (Fig. 4). The enamel surface is smooth. The occlusal crests are low, rounded, and poorly-developed as in Ml. The cusps are inflated so that the trigon and talon basins are restricted. The mesial fovea is short and narrow, and is restricted by the voluminous paracone, well-developed protoconule and inflated crests. The hypocone is separated from the metacone by a distinct groove. There is no distal transverse crest between these two cusps.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Remnants of an Ancient Forest Provide Ecological Context for Early Miocene Fossil Apes Lauren A
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by DigitalCommons@URI University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Publications Sociology & Anthropology 2014 Remnants of an ancient forest provide ecological context for Early Miocene fossil apes Lauren A. Michel Daniel J. Peppe See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/soc_facpubs Citation/Publisher Attribution Michel, L.A. et al. Remnants of an ancient forest provide ecological context for Early Miocene fossil apes. Nat. Commun. 5:3236 doi: 10.1038/ncomms4236 (2014). Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4236 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology & Anthropology at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Authors Lauren A. Michel, Daniel J. Peppe, James A. Lutz, Steven G. Driese, Holly M. Dunsworth, William E. H. Harcourt-Smith, William H. Horner, Thomas Lehmann, Sheila Nightingale, and Kieran P. McNulty This article is available at DigitalCommons@URI: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/soc_facpubs/23 ARTICLE Received 20 Jun 2013 | Accepted 10 Jan 2014 | Published 18 Feb 2014 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4236 Remnants of an ancient forest provide ecological context for Early Miocene fossil apes Lauren A. Michel1, Daniel J. Peppe1, James A. Lutz2, Steven G. Driese1, Holly M. Dunsworth3, William E.H. Harcourt-Smith4,5,6, William H. Horner1,7, Thomas Lehmann8, Sheila Nightingale6 & Kieran P. McNulty9 The lineage of apes and humans (Hominoidea) evolved and radiated across Afro-Arabia in the early Neogene during a time of global climatic changes and ongoing tectonic processes that formed the East African Rift.
    [Show full text]
  • Spring 2016 Newsletter
    Department Anthropology of Anthropology Newsletter Fall 2015 - Spring 2016 • Vol. 16 Transforming Lives Through Discovery! Welcome Archaeology Field School at Twin Pines 2015 uring the summer of 2015, students in the department of Anthropology The Anthropology students participated in an exciting six-week archaeological field school in the Gila National and alumni profiled here D Forest. Under the direction of Dr. Fumi Arakawa, NMSU professor and director of the are just a few of those University Museum, 16 undergraduate and 5 graduate students excavated the Twin Pines who have received funding Village. and recognition for their research. This is an important Classic Mimbres Phase Site (A.D. 1000- Thanks to new funding 1130) located south of Wall from the College of Arts Lake. The field school operated and Sciences, contributions in collaboration with U.S. from alumni and friends Forest Service archaeologists to the Dean’s Fund for Wendy Sutton and Chris Adams. Excellence and the “Friends Students participated in all phases of Anthropology”, we offer of archaeological fieldwork, grants of up to $500 for including site survey, excavation graduate research. mapping and in-field analysis. “They also had the opportunity We have funded to learn about stewardship of students working both archaeological resources, cultural internationally and 2015 NMSU archaeology field school at Twin Pines heritage management, and best locally, on projects practices for collaborative archaeological investigation,” said Dr. Alexander, head of as diverse as primate NMSU’s Department of Anthropology. behavior, stewardship of archaeological resources, "The project consists of an intensive excavation of a Classic Mimbres site which extends human responses to well back to the Pithouse period,” said Trevor Lea, one of four crew chiefs on the project.
    [Show full text]
  • Gibbon Classification : the Issue of Species and Subspecies
    Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1988 Gibbon classification : the issue of species and subspecies Erin Lee Osterud Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons, and the Genetics and Genomics Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Osterud, Erin Lee, "Gibbon classification : the issue of species and subspecies" (1988). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3925. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5809 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Erin Lee Osterud for the Master of Arts in Anthropology presented July 18, 1988. Title: Gibbon Classification: The Issue of Species and Subspecies. APPROVED BY MEM~ OF THE THESIS COMMITTEE: Marc R. Feldesman, Chairman Gibbon classification at the species and subspecies levels has been hotly debated for the last 200 years. This thesis explores the reasons for this debate. Authorities agree that siamang, concolor, kloss and hoolock are species, while there is complete lack of agreement on lar, agile, moloch, Mueller's and pileated. The disagreement results from the use and emphasis of different character traits, and from debate on the occurrence and importance of gene flow. GIBBON CLASSIFICATION: THE ISSUE OF SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES by ERIN LEE OSTERUD A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in ANTHROPOLOGY Portland State University 1989 TO THE OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES: The members of the Committee approve the thesis of Erin Lee Osterud presented July 18, 1988.
    [Show full text]
  • The Threads of Evolutionary, Behavioural and Conservation Research
    Taxonomic Tapestries The Threads of Evolutionary, Behavioural and Conservation Research Taxonomic Tapestries The Threads of Evolutionary, Behavioural and Conservation Research Edited by Alison M Behie and Marc F Oxenham Chapters written in honour of Professor Colin P Groves Published by ANU Press The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at http://press.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: Taxonomic tapestries : the threads of evolutionary, behavioural and conservation research / Alison M Behie and Marc F Oxenham, editors. ISBN: 9781925022360 (paperback) 9781925022377 (ebook) Subjects: Biology--Classification. Biology--Philosophy. Human ecology--Research. Coexistence of species--Research. Evolution (Biology)--Research. Taxonomists. Other Creators/Contributors: Behie, Alison M., editor. Oxenham, Marc F., editor. Dewey Number: 578.012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU Press Cover photograph courtesy of Hajarimanitra Rambeloarivony Printed by Griffin Press This edition © 2015 ANU Press Contents List of Contributors . .vii List of Figures and Tables . ix PART I 1. The Groves effect: 50 years of influence on behaviour, evolution and conservation research . 3 Alison M Behie and Marc F Oxenham PART II 2 . Characterisation of the endemic Sulawesi Lenomys meyeri (Muridae, Murinae) and the description of a new species of Lenomys . 13 Guy G Musser 3 . Gibbons and hominoid ancestry . 51 Peter Andrews and Richard J Johnson 4 .
    [Show full text]
  • Unravelling the Positional Behaviour of Fossil Hominoids: Morphofunctional and Structural Analysis of the Primate Hindlimb
    ADVERTIMENT. Lʼaccés als continguts dʼaquesta tesi queda condicionat a lʼacceptació de les condicions dʼús establertes per la següent llicència Creative Commons: http://cat.creativecommons.org/?page_id=184 ADVERTENCIA. El acceso a los contenidos de esta tesis queda condicionado a la aceptación de las condiciones de uso establecidas por la siguiente licencia Creative Commons: http://es.creativecommons.org/blog/licencias/ WARNING. The access to the contents of this doctoral thesis it is limited to the acceptance of the use conditions set by the following Creative Commons license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/?lang=en Doctorado en Biodiversitat Facultad de Ciènces Tesis doctoral Unravelling the positional behaviour of fossil hominoids: Morphofunctional and structural analysis of the primate hindlimb Marta Pina Miguel 2016 Memoria presentada por Marta Pina Miguel para optar al grado de Doctor por la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, programa de doctorado en Biodiversitat del Departamento de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d’Ecologia (Facultad de Ciències). Este trabajo ha sido dirigido por el Dr. Salvador Moyà Solà (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont) y el Dr. Sergio Almécija Martínez (The George Washington Univertisy). Director Co-director Dr. Salvador Moyà Solà Dr. Sergio Almécija Martínez A mis padres y hermana. Y a todas aquelas personas que un día decidieron perseguir un sueño Contents Acknowledgments [in Spanish] 13 Abstract 19 Resumen 21 Section I. Introduction 23 Hominoid positional behaviour The great apes of the Vallès-Penedès Basin: State-of-the-art Section II. Objectives 55 Section III. Material and Methods 59 Hindlimb fossil remains of the Vallès-Penedès hominoids Comparative sample Area of study: The Vallès-Penedès Basin Methodology: Generalities and principles Section IV.
    [Show full text]
  • Aspects of Ecology and Adaptation with an Emphasis on Hominoid Evolution
    University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 8-1997 Aspects of Ecology and Adaptation with an Emphasis on hominoid Evolution Clare Katharine Stott University of Tennessee, Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Stott, Clare Katharine, "Aspects of Ecology and Adaptation with an Emphasis on hominoid Evolution. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1997. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/4234 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Clare Katharine Stott entitled "Aspects of Ecology and Adaptation with an Emphasis on hominoid Evolution." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in Anthropology. Andrew Kramer, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Richard Jantz, Lyle Konigsberg Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Clare K. Stott entitled "Aspects of Ecology and Adaptation with an Emphasis on Hominoid Evolution".
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomic Tapestries the Threads of Evolutionary, Behavioural and Conservation Research
    Taxonomic Tapestries The Threads of Evolutionary, Behavioural and Conservation Research Taxonomic Tapestries The Threads of Evolutionary, Behavioural and Conservation Research Edited by Alison M Behie and Marc F Oxenham Chapters written in honour of Professor Colin P Groves Published by ANU Press The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at http://press.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: Taxonomic tapestries : the threads of evolutionary, behavioural and conservation research / Alison M Behie and Marc F Oxenham, editors. ISBN: 9781925022360 (paperback) 9781925022377 (ebook) Subjects: Biology--Classification. Biology--Philosophy. Human ecology--Research. Coexistence of species--Research. Evolution (Biology)--Research. Taxonomists. Other Creators/Contributors: Behie, Alison M., editor. Oxenham, Marc F., editor. Dewey Number: 578.012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU Press Cover photograph courtesy of Hajarimanitra Rambeloarivony Printed by Griffin Press This edition © 2015 ANU Press Contents List of Contributors . .vii List of Figures and Tables . ix PART I 1. The Groves effect: 50 years of influence on behaviour, evolution and conservation research . 3 Alison M Behie and Marc F Oxenham PART II 2 . Characterisation of the endemic Sulawesi Lenomys meyeri (Muridae, Murinae) and the description of a new species of Lenomys . 13 Guy G Musser 3 . Gibbons and hominoid ancestry . 51 Peter Andrews and Richard J Johnson 4 .
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolution of the Vestibular Apparatus In
    RESEARCH ARTICLE The evolution of the vestibular apparatus in apes and humans Alessandro Urciuoli1*, Cle´ ment Zanolli2, Ame´ lie Beaudet3,4, Jean Dumoncel5, Fre´ de´ ric Santos2, Salvador Moya` -Sola` 1,6,7, David M Alba1* 1Institut Catala` de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Auto`noma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valle`s, Barcelona, Spain; 2Laboratoire PACEA, UMR 5199 CNRS, Universite´ de Bordeaux, Pessac, France; 3School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; 4Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; 5Laboratoire AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Universite´ de Toulouse, Toulouse, France; 6Institucio´ Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avanc¸ats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain; 7Unitat d’Antropologia (Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia), Universitat Auto`noma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valle`s, Barcelona, Spain Abstract Phylogenetic relationships among extinct hominoids (apes and humans) are controversial due to pervasive homoplasy and the incompleteness of the fossil record. The bony labyrinth might contribute to this debate, as it displays strong phylogenetic signal among other mammals. However, the potential of the vestibular apparatus for phylogenetic reconstruction among fossil apes remains understudied. Here we test and quantify the phylogenetic signal embedded in the vestibular morphology of extant anthropoids (monkeys, apes and humans) and two extinct apes (Oreopithecus and Australopithecus) as captured by a deformation-based 3D geometric morphometric analysis. We also reconstruct the ancestral morphology of various hominoid clades based on phylogenetically-informed maximum likelihood methods. Besides revealing strong phylogenetic signal in the vestibule and enabling the proposal of potential *For correspondence: synapomorphies for various hominoid clades, our results confirm the relevance of vestibular [email protected] (AU); morphology for addressing the controversial phylogenetic relationships of fossil apes.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 18 Body Size and Intelligence in Hominoid Evolution
    Chapter 18 ................................ ................................ Body Size and Intelligence in Hominoid ................................ ................................ chapter Evolution ................................ ................................ Carol Ward ................................ Department of Anthropology – Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences ................................ 107 Swallow Hall, University of Missouri ................................ Columbia, MO 65211 USA ................................ [email protected] ................................ Mark Flinn ................................ Department of Anthropology, 107 Swallow Hall, University of Missouri ................................ Columbia, MO 65211 USA ................................ [email protected] ................................ David Begun ................................ Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto ................................ Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada ................................ [email protected] ................................ ................................ Word count: text (6526) XML Typescript c Cambridge University Press – Generated by TechBooks. Body Size and Intelligence in Hominoid Evolution Page 1218 of 1365 A-Head 1 Introduction ................................ ................................ 2 Great apes and humans are the largest brained primates. Aside from a few ................................ 3 extinct subfossil lemurs, they are also the largest in body mass.
    [Show full text]
  • Allometric Scaling in the Dentition of Primates and Prediction of Body Weight from Tooth Size in Fossils
    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 58%-100 (1982) Allometric Scaling in the Dentition of Primates and Prediction of Body Weight From Tooth Size in Fossils PHILIP D. GINGERICH, B. HOLLY SMITH, AND KAREN ROSENBERG Museum of Paleontology (P.D.G.)and Department of Anthropology (B.H.S. and K.R.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 KEY WORDS Primate dentition, Allometry, Body size, Adapidae, Hominoidea ABSTRACT Tooth size varies exponentially with body weight in primates. Logarithmic transformation of tooth crown area and body weight yields a linear model of slope 0.67 as an isometric (geometric) baseline for study of dental allometry. This model is compared with that predicted by metabolic scaling (slope = 0.75). Tarsius and other insectivores have larger teeth for their body size than generalized primates do, and they are not included in this analysis. Among generalized primates, tooth size is highly correlated with body size. Correlations of upper and lower cheek teeth with body size range from 0.90-0.97, depending on tooth position. Central cheek teeth (P: and M:) have allometric coefficients ranging from 0.57-0.65, falling well below geometric scaling. Anterior and posterior cheek teeth scale at or above metabolic scaling. Considered individually or as a group, upper cheek teeth scale allometrically with lower coefficients than corresponding lower cheek teeth; the reverse is true for incisors. The sum of crown areas for all upper cheek teeth scales significantly below geometric scaling, while the sum of crown areas for all lower cheek teeth approximates geometric scaling. Tooth size can be used to predict the body weight of generalized fossil primates.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancestral Facial Morphology of Old World Higher Primates (Anthropoidea/Catarrhini/Miocene/Cranium/Anatomy) BRENDA R
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 88, pp. 5267-5271, June 1991 Evolution Ancestral facial morphology of Old World higher primates (Anthropoidea/Catarrhini/Miocene/cranium/anatomy) BRENDA R. BENEFIT* AND MONTE L. MCCROSSINt *Department of Anthropology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901; and tDepartment of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Communicated by F. Clark Howell, March 11, 1991 ABSTRACT Fossil remains of the cercopithecoid Victoia- (1, 5, 6). Contrasting craniofacial configurations of cercopithe- pithecus recently recovered from middle Miocene deposits of cines and great apes are, in consequence, held to be indepen- Maboko Island (Kenya) provide evidence ofthe cranial anatomy dently derived with regard to the ancestral catarrhine condition of Old World monkeys prior to the evolutionary divergence of (1, 5, 6). This reconstruction has formed the basis of influential the extant subfamilies Colobinae and Cercopithecinae. Victoria- cladistic assessments ofthe phylogenetic relationships between pithecus shares a suite ofcraniofacial features with the Oligocene extant and extinct catarrhines (1, 2). catarrhine Aegyptopithecus and early Miocene hominoid Afro- Reconstructions of the ancestral catarrhine morphotype pithecus. AU three genera manifest supraorbital costae, anteri- are based on commonalities of subordinate morphotypes for orly convergent temporal lines, the absence of a postglabellar Cercopithecoidea and Hominoidea (1, 5, 6). Broadly distrib- fossa, a moderate to long snout, great facial
    [Show full text]
  • Examination of the Phylogenetic Value of Molar Cusp Patterns for Australopithecus Paranthropus and Early Homo
    University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2000 Examination of the phylogenetic value of molar cusp patterns for Australopithecus Paranthropus and early Homo Michael Sperazza The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Sperazza, Michael, "Examination of the phylogenetic value of molar cusp patterns for Australopithecus Paranthropus and early Homo" (2000). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 7080. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/7080 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University of IVIONTANA Permission is granted by the author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. ** Please check "Yes" or "No" and provide signature ** Yes, I grant permission No, I do not grant permission Author's Signature D ate ^ 00 Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author's explicit consent. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. An Examination of the Phylogenetic Value of Molar Cusp Patterns for Australopithecus^ Paranthropus and EarlyHomo by Michael Sperazza B.
    [Show full text]