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Morotopithecus Bishopi
''Morotopithecus'' is a species of fossil ape discovered in Miocene-age deposits of Moroto, Uganda. The phylogenetic status of ''Morotopithecus bishopi'' is debated to the extent that it challenges established views on the connection between Miocene primates and extant hominids (i.e. great apes). Parsimonious phylogenetic analyses indicate ''Morotopithecus'' is more derived than ''Proconsul'', ''Afropithecus'', and ''Kenyapithecus'', but less derived than ''Oreopithecus'', ''Sivapithecus'', and ''Dryopithecus''. Under this arrangement, ''Morotopithecus'' would be a sister taxon to extant great apes while ''Hylobates'' (gibbons) seem to have branched off before this clade appeared. However, gibbons are believed to have branched off while ''Morotopithecus'' is dated to more than . In a comparison of teeth characteristics of ''Morotopithecus'' to ''Afropithecus'' the results showed little difference, plus evidence gathered from cranial comparisons also indicate that the two g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern marine invertebrates than the Pliocene has. The Miocene is preceded by the Oligocene and is followed by the Pliocene. As Earth went from the Oligocene through the Miocene and into the Pliocene, the climate slowly cooled towards a series of ice ages. The Miocene boundaries are not marked by a single distinct global event but consist rather of regionally defined boundaries between the warmer Oligocene and the cooler Pliocene Epoch. During the Early Miocene, the Arabian Peninsula collided with Eurasia, severing the connection between the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, and allowing a faunal interchange to occur between Eurasia and Africa, including the dispersal of proboscideans into Eurasia. During the la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sivapithecus
''Sivapithecus'' () (syn: ''Ramapithecus)'' is a genus of extinct apes. Fossil remains of animals now assigned to this genus, dated from 12.2 million years old in the Miocene, have been found since the 19th century in the Siwalik Hills of the Indian subcontinent as well as in Kutch. Any one of the species in this genus may have been the ancestor to the modern orangutans. Some early discoveries were given the separate names ''Ramapithecus'' (Rama's Ape) and ''Bramapithecus'' (Brahma's Ape), and were thought to be possible ancestors of humans. Discovery The first incomplete specimens of ''Sivapithecus'' were found in northern India in the late 19th century. Another find was made in Nepal on the bank of the Tinau River situated in Palpa District; a western part of the country in 1932. This find was named "''Ramapithecus''". The discoverer, G. Edward Lewis, claimed that it was distinct from ''Sivapithecus'', as the jaw was more like a human's than any other fossil ape then kno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prehistoric Primate Genera
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of symbols, marks, and images appears very early among humans, but the earliest known writing systems appeared 5000 years ago. It took thousands of years for writing systems to be widely adopted, with writing spreading to almost all cultures by the 19th century. The end of prehistory therefore came at very different times in different places, and the term is less often used in discussing societies where prehistory ended relatively recently. In the early Bronze Age, Sumer in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley Civilisation, and ancient Egypt were the first civilizations to develop their own scripts and to keep historical records, with their neighbors following. Most other civilizations reached the end of prehistory during the following Iron Age. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fossil Taxa Described In 1997
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood and DNA remnants. The totality of fossils is known as the ''fossil record''. Paleontology is the study of fossils: their age, method of formation, and evolutionary significance. Specimens are usually considered to be fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. The oldest fossils are around 3.48 billion years old to 4.1 billion years old. Early edition, published online before print. The observation in the 19th century that certain fossils were associated with certain rock strata led to the recognition of a geological timescale and the relative ages of different fossils. The development of radiometric dating techniques in the early 20th century allowed scientists to quantitatively measure the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miocene Primates Of Africa
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern marine invertebrates than the Pliocene has. The Miocene is preceded by the Oligocene and is followed by the Pliocene. As Earth went from the Oligocene through the Miocene and into the Pliocene, the climate slowly cooled towards a series of ice ages. The Miocene boundaries are not marked by a single distinct global event but consist rather of regionally defined boundaries between the warmer Oligocene and the cooler Pliocene Epoch. During the Early Miocene, the Arabian Peninsula collided with Eurasia, severing the connection between the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, and allowing a faunal interchange to occur between Eurasia and Africa, including the dispersal of proboscideans into Eurasia. During the late ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prehistoric Apes
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of symbols, marks, and images appears very early among humans, but the earliest known writing systems appeared 5000 years ago. It took thousands of years for writing systems to be widely adopted, with writing spreading to almost all cultures by the 19th century. The end of prehistory therefore came at very different times in different places, and the term is less often used in discussing societies where prehistory ended relatively recently. In the early Bronze Age, Sumer in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley Civilisation, and ancient Egypt were the first civilizations to develop their own scripts and to keep historical records, with their neighbors following. Most other civilizations reached the end of prehistory during the following Iron Age. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ugandapithecus
''Ugandapithecus'' is a disputed extinct genus of hominoid primates that existed from 22 to 14 million years ago during the Miocene epoch. Fossil remains are present in Eastern Africa including Kenya and Uganda. Four species have been classified to date. It has been suggested that these successively larger species evolved from one another. Others argue that ''Ugandapithecus'' is a subjective synonym of ''Proconsul.'' * ''Ugandapithecus meswae'', 21.5 – 19 Mya (previously ''Proconsul meswae'') * ''Ugandapithecus legetetensis'', 20 – 19 Mya * ''Ugandapithecus major'', 19 – 18 Mya (previously ''Proconsul major Proconsu lZICA. ''Proconsul major'', an extinct primate of the genus ''Proconsul'', was possibly the ancestor of '' Afropithecus'' and showed hominid characteristics. It occurred during the early Miocene and was roughly, the size of a gorilla. ...'') * ''Ugandapithecus gitongai'', ca. 14.5 Mya References Prehistoric apes Miocene primates of Africa Paleofa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gibbon
Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical rainforest from eastern Bangladesh to Northeast India to southern China and Indonesia (including the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Java). Also called the lesser apes, gibbons differ from great apes (bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans) in being smaller, exhibiting low sexual dimorphism, and not making nests. Like all apes, gibbons are tailless. Unlike most of the great apes, gibbons frequently form long-term pair bonds. Their primary mode of locomotion, brachiation, involves swinging from branch to branch for distances up to , at speeds as fast as . They can also make leaps up to , and walk bipedally with their arms raised for balance. They are the fastest of all tree-dwelling, nonflying mammals. Depending on the species and sex, gibbons' fur coloration varies from d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hylobates
The genus ''Hylobates'' is one of the four genera of gibbons. Its name means "forest walker", from the Greek (, "forest") and (, "one who treads"). It was once considered the only genus, but recently its subgenera ('' Hoolock'' ormerly ''Bunopithecus'' ''Nomascus'', and '' Symphalangus'') have been elevated to the genus level. ''Hylobates'' remains the most species-rich and widespread of gibbon genera, ranging from southern China (Yunnan) to western and central Java. Individuals within this genus are characterized by 44 chromosomes and often have a ring of white fur around their faces. Classification * Family Hylobatidae: gibbons ** Genus ''Hylobates'' *** Lar gibbon or white-handed gibbon, ''Hylobates lar'' **** Malaysian lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar lar'' **** Carpenter's lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar carpenteri'' **** Central lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar entelloides'' **** Sumatran lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar vestitus'' **** Yunnan lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar yunnanensis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dryopithecus
''Dryopithecus'' is a genus of extinct great apes from the middle–late Miocene boundary of Europe 12.5 to 11.1 million years ago (mya). Since its discovery in 1856, the genus has been subject to taxonomic turmoil, with numerous new species being described from single remains based on minute differences amongst each other, and the fragmentary nature of the holotype specimen makes differentiating remains difficult. There is currently only one uncontested species, the type species ''D. fontani'', though there may be more. The genus is placed into the tribe Dryopithecini, which is either an offshoot of orangutans, African apes, or is its own separate branch. A male specimen was estimated to have weighed in life. ''Dryopithecus'' likely predominantly ate ripe fruit from trees, suggesting a degree of suspensory behaviour to reach them, though the anatomy of a humerus and femur suggest a greater reliance on walking on all fours (quadrupedalism). The face was similar to gorillas, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oreopithecus
''Oreopithecus'' (from the Greek , and , , meaning "hill-ape") is an extinct genus of hominoid primate from the Miocene epoch whose fossils have been found in today's Tuscany and Sardinia in Italy. It existed nine to seven million years ago in the Tusco-Sardinian area when this region was an isolated island in a chain of islands stretching from central Europe to northern Africa in what was becoming the Mediterranean Sea. ''Oreopithecus'' was one of many European immigrants that settled this area in the Vallesian–Turolian transition and one of few hominoids, together with ''Sivapithecus'' in Asia, to survive the so-called Vallesian Crisis. To date, dozens of individuals have been discovered at the Tuscan localities of Montebamboli, Montemassi, Casteani, Ribolla, and, most notably, in the fossil-rich lignite mine in the Baccinello Basin, making it one of the best-represented fossil apes. Evolutionary history ''Oreopithecus bambolii'' was first described by French paleont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
