Ekembo Temporal range: Miocene, 20–11.608 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Ekembo nyanzae skeleton (formerly Proconsul nyanzae)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Parvorder:	Catarrhini
Superfamily:	Hominoidea
Genus:	†Ekembo McNulty et al., 2015
Species
Ekembo heseloni Ekembo nyanzae

Ekembo is an early ape (hominoid) genus found in 17- to 20-million-year-old sediments from the Miocene epoch. Specimens have been found at sites around the ancient Kisingiri volcano in Kenya on Rusinga Island and Mfangano Island in Lake Victoria. The name Ekembo is Suba for "ape" or "monkey".^[1]

To account for substantial morphological variation in the genus Proconsul, two species, P. nyanzae and P. heseloni, were placed in the new genus Ekembo. Ekembo is one of the earliest ape (Hominoids), after having diverged from the old world monkeys. The Dendropithecidae appear to be sister to Ekembo. Ekembo was found to be paraphyletic with respect to Proconsul and the more advanced Hominoidea.^[2]^[3]

Description

Ekembo is distinguished from other early Miocene catarrhines on the basis of dental and mandibular morphology. The molars of Ekembo are more rounded or bunodont than those of Proconsul and the canine teeth taper to a point while those of Proconsul are more "blade-like". E. heseloni is medium-sized while E. nyanzae is larger. Both E. nyanzae and E. heseloni are moderately sexually dimorphic.

References

^ Kieran P. McNulty, David R. Begun, Jay Kelley, Fredrick K. Manthi and Emma N. Mbua (2015). "A systematic revision of Proconsul with the description of a new genus of early Miocene hominoid". Journal of Human Evolution. 84: 42-61. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.03.009.
^ Rossie, James B.; Hill, Andrew (2018-12-01). "A new species of Simiolus from the middle Miocene of the Tugen Hills, Kenya". Journal of Human Evolution. 125: 50–58. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.09.002. ISSN 0047-2484. PMID 30502897. S2CID 54625375.
^ Rasmussen, D. Tab; Friscia, Anthony R.; Gutierrez, Mercedes; Kappelman, John; Miller, Ellen R.; Muteti, Samuel; Reynoso, Dawn; Rossie, James B.; Spell, Terry L. (2019-03-11). "Primitive Old World monkey from the earliest Miocene of Kenya and the evolution of cercopithecoid bilophodonty". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (13): 6051–6056. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.6051R. doi:10.1073/pnas.1815423116. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 6442627. PMID 30858323.

Haplorhini

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates

Haplorhini

†"Omomyidae"

Altanius? Altiatlasius? Bownomomys Kohatius
Microchoerinae	Indusomys Melaneremia Microchoerus Nannopithex Necrolemur Paraloris Pseudoloris Quercyloris Vectipithex
"Anaptomorphinae"	Absarokius Anaptomorphus Anemorhysis Arapahovius Aycrossia Chlororhysis Gazinius Pseudotetonius Sphacorhysis Strigorhysis Tatmanius Teilhardina Tetonius Tetonoides Trogolemur Walshina
"Omomyinae"	Ageitodendron Asiomomys Brontomomys Chipetaia Chumashius Diablomomys Dyseolemur Ekwiiyemakius Gunnelltarsius Hemiacodon Jemezius Loveina Macrotarsius Nesomomys Omomys Ourayia Rooneyia Shoshonius Steinius Stockia Uintanius Utahia Washakius Wyomomys Yaquius
Tarkadectinae	Tarka Tarkadectes Tarkops

Tarsiiformes

†Archicebus †Afrotarsiidae? †"Omomyidae"?
Tarsiidae	Carlito Cephalopachus †Hesperotarsius †Oligotarsius Tarsius †Xanthorhysis?

Simiiformes

- see below↓

Simiiformes

†Altiatlasius?
†Amamria
†Aseanpithecus
†Nosmips?
†Phileosimias?

†Afrotarsiidae?

Afrasia
Afrotarsius

†Eosimiidae

Bahinia
Eosimias
Phenacopithecus

†Amphipithecidae

Amphipithecus
Bugtipithecus?
Ganlea
Krabia
Myanmarpithecus
Pondaungia
Siamopithecus

†Parapithecoidea

Arsinoea Biretia
Proteopithecidae	Proteopithecus Serapia
Parapithecidae	Abuqatrania Apidium Parapithecus Qatrania Ucayalipithecus

Platyrrhini

†Parvimico †Perupithecus †Szalatavus †Canaanimico †Branisella †Lagonimico
Aotidae	Aotus †Tremacebus
Pitheciidae	†Antillothrix Cacajao Callicebus †Carlocebus †Cebupithecia Cheracebus Chiropotes †Homunculus †Insulacebus †Mazzonicebus †Miocallicebus †Nuciruptor Pithecia Plecturocebus †Proteropithecia †Soriacebus †Xenothrix
Atelidae	Alouatta Ateles Brachyteles †Caipora †Cartelles †Chilecebus Lagothrix †Mohanamico Oreonax †Paralouatta †Protopithecus †Solimoea †Stirtonia
Cebidae	†Acrecebus Cebus †Dolichocebus †Killikaike †Panamacebus †Patasola Saimiri Sapajus
Callitrichidae	Callimico Callithrix Cebuella Leontocebus Leontopithecus Mico †Micodon Saguinus

Catarrhini	see below↓

Catarrhini

†Micropithecus
†Saadanius

†Oligopithecidae

Catopithecus
Oligopithecus
Talahpithecus

†Propliopithecidae

Aegyptopithecus
Propliopithecus

†Pliopithecoidea

Krishnapithecus Paidopithex †Kapi
Pliopithecidae	Epipliopithecus Pliopithecus
Dionysopithecidae	Dionysopithecus Platodontopithecus
Crouzeliidae	Anapithecus Barberapithecus Crouzelia Egarapithecus Fanchangia Laccopithecus Plesiopliopithecus Pliobates

Cercopithecoidea

†Alophe

†Victoriapithecidae

Noropithecus
Nsungwepithecus?
Prohylobates?
Victoriapithecus
Zaltanpithecus

Colobinae

Cercopithecinae

Cercopithecini	Allenopithecus Allochrocebus Cercopithecus Chlorocebus Erythrocebus Miopithecus †Nanopithecus
Papionini	Cercocebus †Dinopithecus †Gorgopithecus Lophocebus Macaca Mandrillus Papio †Paradolichopithecus †Parapapio †Pliopapio †Procercocebus †Procynocephalus Rungwecebus †Soromandrillus Theropithecus

Hominoidea	see below↓

Hominoidea

†Afropithecus †Ekembo †Equatorius †Griphopithecus †Kamoyapithecus? †Kenyapithecus †Morotopithecus †Nacholapithecus †Otavipithecus †Proconsul †Samburupithecus
†Dendropithecidae	Dendropithecus Micropithecus? Nyanzapithecus Oreopithecus? Rangwapithecus Rukwapithecus Simiolus Turkanapithecus
Hylobatidae	†Bunopithecus Hoolock Hylobates †Junzi Nomascus Symphalangus †Yuanmoupithecus

Hominidae

†Graecopithecus †Nakalipithecus †Ouranopithecus
Ponginae	†Ankarapithecus †Gigantopithecus †Indopithecus †Khoratpithecus †Lufengpithecus †Meganthropus Pongo †Sivapithecus

Pan
Hominina	†Ardipithecus? †Australopithecus †Graecopithecus? Homo †Kenyanthropus †Orrorin? †Sahelanthropus? †Paranthropus