Nacholapithecus Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
| |
Nacholapithecus kerioi at the Kyoto University Museum | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Family: | † Proconsulidae |
Genus: | †
Nacholapithecus Ishida, Kunimatsu, Nakatsukasa & Nakano, 1999 |
Species | |
|
Nacholapithecus kerioi was an ape that lived 14-15 million years ago [1] during the Middle Miocene. Fossils have been found in the Nachola formation in northern Kenya. The only member of the genus Nacholapithecus, it is thought to be a key genus in early hominid evolution. Similar in body plan to Proconsul, it had a long vertebral column with six lumbar vertebrae, no tail, a narrow torso, large upper limbs with mobile shoulder joints, and long feet. [2]
Together with other Kenyapithecinae such as Equatorius, Kenyapithecus, and Griphopithecus, Nacholapithecus displayed synapomorphies with Anoiapithecus. [3]
Nacholapithecus was initially classified as belonging in Kenyapithecus, [4] then attributed [5] to Equatorius (with Equatorius perhaps grouped into a subfamily Equatorinae, instead of both species in Afropithecini), [6] [7] finally recognised by Ishida et al. (1999) as a separate genus. [8] [9] [10] Classified perhaps as a member of the family Proconsulidae. [11]
Nacholapithecus kerioi is known from the lowest part of the Aka Aiteputh Formation, one of five formations in the Neogene System in Nachola, Samburu District, northern Kenya. [12] [13] The formation is largely part of the north-western rift flank overlying the Nachola Formation. [14]
Nacholapithecus Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
| |
Nacholapithecus kerioi at the Kyoto University Museum | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Family: | † Proconsulidae |
Genus: | †
Nacholapithecus Ishida, Kunimatsu, Nakatsukasa & Nakano, 1999 |
Species | |
|
Nacholapithecus kerioi was an ape that lived 14-15 million years ago [1] during the Middle Miocene. Fossils have been found in the Nachola formation in northern Kenya. The only member of the genus Nacholapithecus, it is thought to be a key genus in early hominid evolution. Similar in body plan to Proconsul, it had a long vertebral column with six lumbar vertebrae, no tail, a narrow torso, large upper limbs with mobile shoulder joints, and long feet. [2]
Together with other Kenyapithecinae such as Equatorius, Kenyapithecus, and Griphopithecus, Nacholapithecus displayed synapomorphies with Anoiapithecus. [3]
Nacholapithecus was initially classified as belonging in Kenyapithecus, [4] then attributed [5] to Equatorius (with Equatorius perhaps grouped into a subfamily Equatorinae, instead of both species in Afropithecini), [6] [7] finally recognised by Ishida et al. (1999) as a separate genus. [8] [9] [10] Classified perhaps as a member of the family Proconsulidae. [11]
Nacholapithecus kerioi is known from the lowest part of the Aka Aiteputh Formation, one of five formations in the Neogene System in Nachola, Samburu District, northern Kenya. [12] [13] The formation is largely part of the north-western rift flank overlying the Nachola Formation. [14]