Samburupithecus Temporal range: late Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Samburupithecus kiptalami fossils, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Superfamily:	Hominoidea
Family:	incertae sedis
Genus:	†Samburupithecus Ishida & Pickford 1997
Species:	†S. kiptalami
Binomial name
†Samburupithecus kiptalami Ishida & Pickford 1997

Samburupithecus is an extinct primate that lived in Kenya during the middle to late Miocene. The one species in this genus, Samburupithecus kiptalami, is known only from a maxilla fragment dated to 9.5 million years ago discovered in 1982^[1] and formally described by Ishida & Pickford 1997.^[2] The type specimen KNM-SH 8531 was discovered by the Joint Japan-Kenya Expedition at the SH22 fossil site in the Samburu District,^[1] a locality where several other researchers found no ape fossils.^[3]

Samburupithecus lived during the so-called "African ape gap" 14 to 7 Ma, a period from which very few hominoid fossils have been found in Africa until relatively recently.^[3] This apparent gap, however, is now populated by a diversity of apes such as Nakalipithecus, Chororapithecus abyssinicus,^[3] Otavipithecus,^[4] and Nacholapithecus.^[5]

Characteristics

Samburupithecus was approximately 60 kilograms (130 lb)^[6] and was most likely a frugivorous terrestrial quadruped. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions indicate that Samburupithecus most likely lived in a wooded habitat surrounded by savannah.^[7]

Defining cranial traits of this genus include low, broad zygomatics, straight alveolar process and large maxillary sinus. Defining dental traits include three-rooted premolars, thick enamel and bunodont cusps.^[8]

The teeth in the Samburupithecus type maxilla are comparable in size to those of the type mandible of Nakalipithecus, roughly the size of a modern female gorilla. The upper premolars of both are elongated mesiodistally (along the row of teeth), but those of Samburupithecus have more inflated cusps that are positioned more centrally, so that occlusal foveae and basins (depressions at top of teeth) are very restricted. This suggests that Samburupithecus was strongly specialized compared to other Miocene and extant apes. Another distinguishing feature between the two is the higher relief of the dentine/enamel junction in Samburupithecus.^[9]

These elongated teeth are unlike many other Miocene hominoids, linking Samburupithecus the taxon to gorillas, chimpanzees and hominins, but its relationships within this clade is at present unclear.^[10] Because of this mixture of primitive and derived traits in the KNM-SH 8531 specimen, it has been proposed that Samburupithecus lived before the gorilla-chimpanzee-hominin split and, therefore, that it is a common ancestor to these primates alongside Ouranopithecus.^[11]

Notes

References

Bernor, Raymond L. (December 2007). "New apes fill the gap". PNAS. 104 (50): 19661–2. Bibcode:2007PNAS..10419661B. doi:10.1073/pnas.0710109105. PMC 2148351. PMID 18077396.
Cela-Conde, Camilo J.; Ayala, Francisco J. (2007). Human Evolution — Trails from the Past. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198567806.
Fleagle, J.F. (1999). Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Elsevier Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-260341-9.
Ishida, Hidemi; Pickford, Martin (1997). "A new Late Miocene hominoid from Kenya: Samburupithecus kiptalami gen. et sp. nov". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série IIA. 325 (10): 823–29. Bibcode:1997CRASE.325..823I. doi:10.1016/S1251-8050(97)82762-0.
Kunimatsu, Yutaka; Nakatsukasa, Masato; Sawada, Yoshihiro; Sakai, Tetsuya; Hyodo, Masayuki; Hyodo, Hironobu; Itaya, Tetsumaru; Nakaya, Hideo; Saegusa, Haruo; Mazurier, Arnaud; Saneyoshi, Mototaka; Tsujikawa, Hiroshi; Yamamoto, Ayumi; Mbual, Emma (December 2007). "A new Late Miocene great ape from Kenya and its implications for the origins of African great apes and humans". PNAS. 104 (49): 19220–5. Bibcode:2007PNAS..10419220K. doi:10.1073/pnas.0706190104. PMC 2148271. PMID 18024593.
Tsujikawa, Hiroshi (2005). "Palaeoenvironment of Samburupithecus Based on its Associated Fauna" (PDF). African Study Monographs. Suppl. (32): 51–62.
Ward, Steven C.; Duren, Dana L. (2002). "Middle and late Miocene African hominoids". In Hartwig, Walter Carl (ed.). The Primate Fossil Record. Cambridge University Press. Bibcode:2002prfr.book.....H. ISBN 978-0-521-66315-1.
Yasui, Kinya; Nakano, Yoshihiko; Ishida, Hidemi (March 1987). "Excavation at the Fossil-Hominoid-Bearing Locality, Site-SH22 in the Samburu Hills, Northern Kenya". African Study Monographs. Suppl. 5: 169–74. hdl:2433/68329.

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

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 †Otavipithecus †Pliobates †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

Characteristics

See also

Notes

References