Mesopithecus

Last updated

Mesopithecus
Temporal range: Late Miocene–Late Pliocene
Mesopithecus pentelici skeleton.JPG
Skeleton
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Cercopithecidae
Subfamily: Colobinae
Genus: Mesopithecus
Wagner, 1839
Species
  • Mesopithecus monspessulanus
    Gervais 1859
  • Mesopithecus pentelici
    Wagner 1839 (type)

Mesopithecus ("middle monkey" for being between Hylobates and Semnopithecus in build) is an extinct genus of Old World monkey belonging to the subfamily Colobinae that lived in Europe and Asia during the Late Miocene and Pliocene epochs, around 8.2-2.6 million years ago. [1] [2] [3] Fossils span from Great Britain and the Iberian Peninsula in the west, eastwards to the Indian Subcontinent and China. [2] Species of Mesopithecus had a body length of about 40 centimetres (16 in), possessing a slender body with long, muscular limbs and flexible fingers. [4] Analysis of its anatomy suggests that members of the genus were semiterrestrial, spending a considerable amount of the time on the ground, [5] [6] though some authors have argued that some species were likely arboreal. [7] Species of Mesopithecus were likely capable climbers and probably occasionally engaged in leaping. [2] Dental microwear analysis suggests that it fed on hard seeds as well as probably leaves. [8] [9] The relationship of Mesopithecus to living members of Colobinae is uncertain, some have interpreted it as an early offshoot outside the split between Asian and African colobines, while others have interpreted it as a close relative of the Asian doucs (Pygathrix). [10]

Contents

Related Research Articles

<i>Theropithecus</i> Genus of Old World monkeys

Theropithecus is a genus of primates in the family Cercopithecidae. It contains a single living species, the gelada, native to the Ethiopian Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colobinae</span> Subfamily of Old World monkeys

The Colobinae or leaf-eating monkeys are a subfamily of the Old World monkey family that includes 61 species in 11 genera, including the black-and-white colobus, the large-nosed proboscis monkey, and the gray langurs. Some classifications split the colobine monkeys into two tribes, while others split them into three groups. Both classifications put the three African genera Colobus, Piliocolobus, and Procolobus in one group; these genera are distinct in that they have stub thumbs. The various Asian genera are placed into another one or two groups. Analysis of mtDNA confirms the Asian species form two distinct groups, one of langurs and the other of the "odd-nosed" species, but are inconsistent as to the relationships of the gray langurs; some studies suggest that the gray langurs are not closely related to either of these groups, while others place them firmly within the langur group.

<i>Homunculus</i> (genus) Extinct genus of monkey

Homunculus is an extinct genus of New World monkey that lived in Patagonia during the Miocene. Two species are known: Homunculus patagonicus and Homunculus vizcainoi, which are known from material found in the Santa Cruz Formation in the far south of Argentina.

Gorgopithecus is an extinct genus of primate in the Old World monkey family Cercopithecidae, closely related to the baboons. There is only one known species, Gorgopithecus major. It has been found at sites from the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene Epoch in South Africa and Tanzania. It was first discovered at the Kromdraai A site in South Africa. It has since been found from Swartkrans, South Africa. Most recently, it has been recognized from the DKI site in Bed I of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, which has been dated to 1.8 million years old.

<i>Dinopithecus</i> Extinct genus of monkeys

Dinopithecus is an extinct genus of very large primates closely related to baboons, that lived during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs in South Africa and Ethiopia. It was named by British paleontologist Robert Broom in 1937. The only species currently recognized is Dinopithecus ingens, as D. quadratirostris has been reassigned to the genus Soromandrillus. It is known from several infilled cave sites in South Africa, all of early Pleistocene age, including Skurweberg, Swartkrans, and Sterkfontein.

Kamoyapithecus was a primate that lived in Africa during the late Oligocene period, about 24.2-27.5 million years ago. First found in 1948 as part of a University of California, Berkeley expedition, it was at first thought to be under a form of Proconsul by C.T. Madden in 1980, but after a re-examination by Meave Leakey and associates later, the fossils were moved under a new genus Kamoyapithecus, named after the renowned fossil finder Kamoya Kimeu. The genus is represented by only one species, K. hamiltoni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shungura Formation</span> Stratigraphic formation in the Omo river basin in Ethiopia

The Shungura Formation is a stratigraphic formation located in the Omo river basin in Ethiopia. It dates to the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene. Oldowan tools have been found in the formation, suggesting early use of stone tools by hominins. Among many others, fossils of Panthera were found in Member G of the formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myanmar snub-nosed monkey</span> Species of Old World monkey

The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey or Burmese snub-nosed monkey or black snub-nosed monkey is a critically endangered species of colobine monkey discovered in 2010 in northern Burma (Myanmar). It was formally described as a novel species of primate in 2011 based on its fur, beard and tail. Two groups of the species were discovered in China in 2011 and 2015, respectively.

<i>Graecopithecus</i> Extinct genus of hominids

Graecopithecus is an extinct genus of hominid that lived in southeast Europe during the late Miocene around 7.2 million years ago. Originally identified by a single lower jaw bone bearing teeth found in Pyrgos Vasilissis, Athens, Greece, in 1944, other teeth were discovered from Azmaka quarry in Bulgaria in 2012. With only little and badly preserved materials to reveal its nature, it is considered as "the most poorly known European Miocene hominoids." The creature was popularly nicknamed 'El Graeco' by scientists.

<i>Theropithecus oswaldi</i> Extinct species of Old World monkey

Theropithecus oswaldi is an extinct species of Theropithecus from the early to middle Pleistocene of Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, Spain, Morocco and Algeria. The species went extinct in South Africa around 1.0 Ma. Having existed alongside hominins like Homo erectus, it is likely that conflict with early humans played a role in their extinction as a site has been found with many juveniles butchered.

This paleomammalogy list records new fossil mammal taxa that were described during the year 2013, as well as notes other significant paleomammalogy discoveries and events which occurred during that year.

<i>Cercopithecoides</i> Extinct genus of Old World monkeys

Cercopithecoides is an extinct genus of colobine monkey from Africa which lived during the latest Miocene to the Pleistocene period. There are several recognized species, with the smallest close in size to some of the larger extant colobines, and males of the largest species weighed over 50 kilograms (110 lb).

<i>Paradolichopithecus</i> Extinct genus of Old World monkeys

Paradolichopithecus is an extinct genus of cercopithecine monkey once found throughout Eurasia. The type species, P. arvernensis, was a very large monkey, comparable in size to a mandrill. The genus was most closely related to macaques, sharing a very similar cranial morphology. The fossils attributed to Paradolichopithecus are known from the Early Pliocene to the Early Pleistocene of Europe and Asia. The East Asian fossil genus Procynocephalus is considered by some to represent a senior synonym of Paradolichopithecus.

Pliopapio is an extinct genus of Old World monkey known from the latest part of the Miocene to the early Pliocene Epochs from the Afar Region of Ethiopia. It was first described based on a very large series of fossils from the site of Aramis in the Middle Awash, which has been dated by 40Ar/39Ar to 4.4 million years old. It has since been found from similarly aged sediments at Gona, approximately 75 km to the North. Additional fossils from the Middle Awash extend its known time range back to at least 5.3 million years ago. There is only one known species, Pliopapio alemui.

<i>Dihoplus</i> Extinct genus of rhinoceros

Dihoplus is an extinct genus of rhinoceros that lived in Eurasia from the Late Miocene to Pliocene.

Microcolobus is an extinct genus of Old world monkey that lived in eastern Africa during the Late Miocene and is regarded as the first known member of the Colobinae.

<i>Dolichopithecus</i> Extinct genus of Old World monkeys

Dolichopithecus is an extinct genus of Old World monkey that lived in Europe during the Late Miocene and Pliocene.

Parapresbytis is an extinct genus of colobine monkey that lived in northeast Asia during the Mid-Late Pliocene. It is represented by single species known as Parapresbytis eohanuman, whose remains have been found throughout the Transbaikal area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbytini</span> Tribe of Old World monkeys

Presbytini is a tribe of Old World monkeys that includes all of the Asian colobine monkeys.

Yunoscaptor is an extinct genus of talpid that lived in Eurasia during the Miocene. It contains the only species Yunoscaptor scalprum.

References

  1. Xueping Ji, Dionisios Youlatos, Nina G. Jablonski, Ruliang Pan, Chunxia Zhang, Pei Li, Min Tang, Tengsong Yu, Wenqi Li, Chenglong Deng, Song Li (2020). "Oldest colobine calcaneus from East Asia (Zhaotong, Yunnan, China)". Journal of Human Evolution. 147 (102866). Bibcode:2020JHumE.14702866J. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102866. PMID   32862123.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 Jablonski, Nina G.; et al. (6 August 2020). "Mesopithecus pentelicus from Zhaotong, China, the easternmost representative of a widespread Miocene cercopithecoid species". Journal of Human Evolution . 145: 102851. Bibcode:2020JHumE.14602851J. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102851 . PMID   32771770.
  3. Eronen, Jussi T.; Rook, Lorenzo (November 2004). "The Mio-Pliocene European primate fossil record: dynamics and habitat tracking". Journal of Human Evolution. 47 (5): 323–341. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.08.003.
  4. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 289. ISBN   1-84028-152-9.
  5. Youlatos, Dionisios; Koufos, George D. (January 2010). "Locomotor evolution of Mesopithecus (Primates: Colobinae) from Greece: evidence from selected astragalar characters". Primates. 51 (1): 23–35. doi:10.1007/s10329-009-0161-2. ISSN   0032-8332.
  6. Bogdanova, Ralitsa; Youlatos, Dionisios; Spassov, Nikolai (July 2023). "Terrestriality as reflected in the humerus of Mesopithecus delsoni (Cercopithecidae, Colobinae) from Hadjidimovo, Bulgaria". Journal of Human Evolution. 180: 103383. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103383 .
  7. Escarguel, Gilles (August 2005). "Mathematics and the Lifeway of Mesopithecus". International Journal of Primatology. 26 (4): 801–823. doi:10.1007/s10764-005-5324-4. ISSN   0164-0291.
  8. Merceron, Gildas; Scott, Jessica; Scott, Robert S.; Geraads, Denis; Spassov, Nikolai; Ungar, Peter S. (December 2009). "Folivory or fruit/seed predation for Mesopithecus, an earliest colobine from the late Miocene of Eurasia?". Journal of Human Evolution. 57 (6): 732–738. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.06.009.
  9. Thiery, Ghislain; Gillet, Geoffrey; Lazzari, Vincent; Merceron, Gildas; Guy, Franck (November 2017). "Was Mesopithecus a seed eating colobine? Assessment of cracking, grinding and shearing ability using dental topography". Journal of Human Evolution. 112: 79–92. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.09.002.
  10. Alba, David M.; Montoya, Plini; Pina, Marta; Rook, Lorenzo; Abella, Juan; Morales, Jorge; Delson, Eric (November 2015). "First record of Mesopithecus (Cercopithecidae, Colobinae) from the Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula". Journal of Human Evolution. 88: 1–14. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.08.003.