Systematics of early and middle Miocene Old World monkeys

New information about the early cercopithecoids Prohylobates tandyi (Wadi Moghra, Egypt) and Prohylobates sp. indet. (Buluk and Nabwal, Kenya) is presented. Comparisons are made among all major collections of Early and Middle Miocene catarrhine monkeys, and a systematic revision of the early Old Wor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of human evolution 2009-09, Vol.57 (3), p.195-211
Main Authors: Miller, E.R., Benefit, B.R., McCrossin, M.L., Plavcan, J.M., Leakey, M.G., El-Barkooky, A.N., Hamdan, M.A., Abdel Gawad, M.K., Hassan, S.M., Simons, E.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anthropology
Bilophodonty
Catarrhini - anatomy & histology
Catarrhini - classification
Cercopithecoidea
Dental Occlusion
Egypt
Female
Fossils
Kenya
Male
Mandible - anatomy & histology
Miocene
Old World monkeys
Primate biology
Primatology
Tooth - anatomy & histology
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Summary:New information about the early cercopithecoids Prohylobates tandyi (Wadi Moghra, Egypt) and Prohylobates sp. indet. (Buluk and Nabwal, Kenya) is presented. Comparisons are made among all major collections of Early and Middle Miocene catarrhine monkeys, and a systematic revision of the early Old World monkeys is provided. Previous work involving the systematics of early Old World monkeys (Victoriapithecidae; Cercopithecoidea) has been hampered by a number of factors, including the poor preservation of Prohylobates material from North Africa and lack of comparable anatomical parts across collections. However, it is now shown that basal cercopithecoid species from both northern and eastern Africa can be distinguished from one another on the basis of degree of lower molar bilophodonty, relative lower molar size, occlusal details, symphyseal construction, and mandibular shape. Results of particular interest include: 1) the first identification of features that unambiguously define Prohylobates relative to Victoriapithecus; 2) confirmation that P. tandyi is incompletely bilophodont; and 3) recognition of additional victoriapithecid species.
ISSN:0047-2484
1095-8606
DOI:10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.06.006