Victoriapithecus macinnesi
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| Victoriapithecus macinnesi Fossil range: Middle Miocene |
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| Victoriapithecus macinnesi von Koenigswald, 1969 |
Victoriapithecus macinnesi was a primate. It was described from a single fossil specimen, the oldest Old World monkey skull fossil. It was discovered near Lake Victoria in Kenya and is from the middle Miocene and was closely related to the two or three extinct Prohylobates species.
[edit] Morphology
Victoriapithecus macinnesi had a dental formula of 2:1:2:3 on both the upper and lower jaws. This species had lower molars that are bilophodont with low cusps. The canines of Victoriapithecus macinnesi show sexual dimorphism and the mandible of this species is relatively deep compared to other Old World monkeys. On the forelimbs, the distal end of the humerus shows a narrow articulation and a deep ulnar notch. Victoriapithecus macinnesi had an average body mass of around 7.0 kilograms.
[edit] Range and locomotion
Victoriapithecus macinnesi lived in Africa and this species was likely a quadruped due to the postcranial remains.
[edit] External links
- Victoriapithecus macinnesi at members.tripod.com
- monkey, the Free Dictionary by Farlex
- Cercopithecidae at Mikko's Phylogeny archive
- Ancestral facial morphology of Old World higher primates, article by Brenda R. Benefit & Monte L. McCrossin in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 88, pp. 5267-5271, June 1991. The entire article concerning Victoriapithecus is displayed, no charge.
