Kenyapithecus Temporal range: Middle Miocene

Kenyapithecus wickeri teeth
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Family:	Hominidae
Genus:	†Kenyapithecus Leakey, 1961^[1]
Species:	†K. wickeri
Binomial name
†Kenyapithecus wickeri Leakey, 1961

Kenyapithecus wickeri is a fossil ape discovered by Louis Leakey in 1961 at a site called Fort Ternan in Kenya. The upper jaw and teeth were dated to 14 million years ago.^[2] One theory states that Kenyapithecus may be the common ancestor of all the great apes. More recent investigations suggest Kenyapithecus is more primitive than that and is only slightly more modern than Proconsul, which is considered to be an ape.

Evidence suggests that Kenyapithecus wickeri was one of the species that started a radiation of apes out of Africa.

Morphology

Impressed by Kenyapithecus's modern-looking teeth, Leakey declared Kenyapithecus to be "a very early ancestor of man himself."^[3]

Kenyapithecus possessed craniodental adaptations for hard object feeding including thicker molar enamel, and a large mandible, large premolars and upper incisors that are similar to those seen in living pitheciine monkeys.^[4] Kenyapithecus also possessed macaque-like limbs adapted for a knuckle-walking mode of semi-terrestrial locomotion.^[5] This could show that as hominins evolved, they passed through a knuckle-walking phase.

Kenyapithecus wickeri has very distinct features, especially details in the canine teeth and is similar to modern apes.

References

^ Ward, S.C. and Duren, D. L. (2002) "Middle and Late Miocene African Hominoids". In Hartwig, W.C. ed. The Primate Fossil Record. Cambridge University Press
^ L. S. B. Leakey: A new Lower Pliocene fossil primate from Kenya. In: The Annals & Magazine of Natural History, Vol. 4, Series 13, 1961, pp. 689–696
^ Carl Zimmer: "Kenyan Skeleton Shakes Ape Family Tree". In: Science, August 27, 1999: Vol. 285. no. 5432, pp. 1335-1337
^ Fleagle, J. G. (2013) Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Elsevier Academic Press
^ McCrossin ML,Benefit, BR Gitau, SN Palmer, AK Blue, KT. (1998) Fossil evidence for the origins of terrestriality among Old World higher primates. Primate locomotion: recent advances. New York: Plenum Press. p 353-396

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

Taxon identifiers
Kenyapithecus	Wikidata: Q133165 Wikispecies: Kenyapithecus EoL: 4454569 GBIF: 4827692 IRMNG: 1065420 Open Tree of Life: 3607703 Paleobiology Database: 100574
Kenyapithecus wickeri	Wikidata: Q14505128 GBIF: 4974708 Open Tree of Life: 3607702 Paleobiology Database: 133716

Morphology

See also

References