''Microcolobus'' is an extinct genus of

Old world monkey Old World monkey is the common English name for a family of primates known taxonomically as the Cercopithecidae (). Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons ...

that lived in eastern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

during the

Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million years ago) to 5.333 Ma. The ...

and is regarded as the first known member of the

Colobinae 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 spli ...

Taxonomy

''Microcolobus'' was described in 1986 from remains that were found in the Tugen Hills in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and have been dated to between 10.5 and 8.5 million years ago. Fossils of this species (or a close relative) have also been found in Nakali. Primitive characteristics shared with the extinct '' Mesopithecus'' of Asia suggest a close phyletic relationship between the two.

Description

''Microcolobus'' was a small species of monkey, estimated at only in weight. It had more primitive characteristics than modern colobines such as having lower molar cusps and more crushing surfaces on the premolars. Its small size and less developed shearing crests suggest that it would have been less folivorous than modern colobines. While postracinal elements indicate it was likely arboreal, it does not have the reduced thumb seen in living relatives.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q108325127 Colobinae Miocene primates Miocene mammals of Africa Prehistoric primate genera