A new species of Pliopithecus from the middle Miocene of China and its implications for early catarrhine zoogeography

Harrison, Terry; Delson, Eric; Guan, Jian

doi:10.1016/0047-2484(91)90112-9

Cited by 39 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The relatively early occurrence of pliopithecines in China, represented by Pliopithecus zhanxiangi from Tongxin and Pliopithecus sp. from the Halamagai Formation (both correlated with MN 6, ~15 Ma), tends to support this scenario (Qiu and Guan, 1986;Harrison et al, 1991;Ye et al, 2000). The more specialized crouzeliines appear, however, to have originated in Europe from a pliopithecine-like ancestor, where they are first recorded at (2001); Harrison (1988Harrison ( , 2002.…”

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 80%

“…In the past, Dionysopithecus has been inferred to be related to Micropithecus, a dendropithecid from the early Miocene of East Africa (Harrison, 1982(Harrison, , 1988Fleagle, 1984Fleagle, , 1986Bernor et al, 1988;Harrison et al, 1991). However, following Harrison and Gu (1999), the two species from Sihong are now considered to be closely related stem pliopithecoids, included together in their own family, the Dionysopithecidae.…”

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The only known crouzeliine from Asia, Laccopithecus robustus from the late Miocene (~7-8 Ma) of Shihuiba, Lufeng, China Pan, 1984, 1985;Pan, 1988Pan, , 1998Pan et al, 1989;Harrison et al, 1991;Harrison and Gu, 1999), points to a relatively late arrival of this clade into the region. Nevertheless, the extinction of pliopithecids in Europe by the close of the Vallesian (at ~8.7 Ma) would indicate that late surviving crouzeliines reached East Asia before 9 Ma, possible at the same time that hominoids arrived in the region (the earliest occurrence of which is recorded at Xiaolongtan, China, best correlated with MN 9, ~10-11 Ma; Qiu and Qiu, 1995;Pickford and Liu, 2001;Harrison et al, 2002b).…”

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Schlosser (1924) described an M 3 from Ertemte, Nei Mongol, northern China (correlated with MN 13, ~5-6 Ma) as Pliopithecus posthumus, but this specimen is much too heavily worn to determine its taxonomic affinities, and several authors have even questioned its primate status (Hür-zeler, 1954;Simons, 1972;Simons and Fleagle, 1973;Fleagle, 1984;Harrison et al, 1991;Harrison and Gu, 1999). Similarly, an M 3 from the late Miocene locality of Haritalyangar in northern India, has been referred to Pliopithecus krishnaii or Krishnapithecus krishnaii (Chopra and Kaul, 1979;Ginsburg and Mein, 1980), but, because it is heavily worn, it is impossible to assess its taxonomic affinities (Harrison et al, 1991;Harrison and Gu, 1999). An edentulous mandibular symphysis of an anthropoid primate from the early Miocene locality of Hsi-shui, Taben Buluk in northern China, and a molar fragment from the neighboring late Oligocene locality of Yindirte (Bohlin, 1946), are too incomplete to establish their precise relationships (Harrison et al, 1991;Harrison and Gu, 1999).…”

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, an M 3 from the late Miocene locality of Haritalyangar in northern India, has been referred to Pliopithecus krishnaii or Krishnapithecus krishnaii (Chopra and Kaul, 1979;Ginsburg and Mein, 1980), but, because it is heavily worn, it is impossible to assess its taxonomic affinities (Harrison et al, 1991;Harrison and Gu, 1999). An edentulous mandibular symphysis of an anthropoid primate from the early Miocene locality of Hsi-shui, Taben Buluk in northern China, and a molar fragment from the neighboring late Oligocene locality of Yindirte (Bohlin, 1946), are too incomplete to establish their precise relationships (Harrison et al, 1991;Harrison and Gu, 1999).…”

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 99%

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The zoogeographic and phylogenetic relationships of early catarrhine primates in Asia

Harrison

2005

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Catarrhines originated in Afro-Arabia during the Paleogene, and were restricted to this zoogeographic province until the early Miocene. During this period of isolation, several major clades of catarrhines originated. The pliopithecoids were the first catarrhines to migrate out of Africa at ~18-20 Ma, while contemporary proconsulids and dendropithecids may have been restricted to Afro-Arabia. Hominoids and Old World monkeys originated in Africa prior to 20 Ma, but neither clade became an important component of the catarrhine fauna until the middle to late Miocene. At ~15-17 Ma, hominoids expanded into Eurasia, while cercopithecids arrived somewhat later, during the late Miocene. The earliest catarrhines in Eurasia, Dionysopithecus and Platodontopithecus from Sihong in China (~17-18 Ma), represent the primitive sister group of all other pliopithecoids. From this ancestral stock in Asia, the more specialized pliopithecines extended their range westwards into Europe by ~16-17 Ma, where a pliopithecine-like common ancestor gave rise to the crouzeliines. The only known crouzeliine from Asia, Laccopithecus, from the late Miocene of China, points to a late arrival of this clade in the region. Small catarrhines from the middle Miocene of Pakistan (~16-17 Ma), and new material from China, may possibly have closer ties with dendropithecids, proconsulids, or hylobatids.

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Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Early Catarrhines In Asia: Zoogeographic and Phylogenetic Rementioning

confidence: 99%

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The zoogeographic and phylogenetic relationships of early catarrhine primates in Asia

Harrison

2005

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Evolution of anthropoid jaw loading and kinematic patterns

Ravosa

Vinyard

Gagnon

et al. 2000

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

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Major transformations in the skull and masticatory system characterized the evolution of crown anthropoids. To offer further insight into the phylogenetic and arguably adaptive significance of specific primate mandibular loading and kinematic patterns, allometric analyses of metric parameters linked to masticatory function are performed within and between 47 strepsirhine and 45 recent anthropoid species. When possible, basal anthropoids are considered. These results are subsequently integrated with prior experimental and morphological work on primate skull form. As compared to strepsirhines, crown anthropoids have a vertically longer ascending ramus linked to a glenoid and condyle positioned relatively higher above the occlusal plane. Interestingly, anthropoids and strepsirhines do not exhibit different mean ratios of condylar to glenoid height, which suggests that both clades are similar in their ability to evenly distribute occlusal contacts and perhaps forces along the postcanine teeth. Thus, given the considerable suborder differences in the scaling of both glenoid and condylar height, we argue that much of this variation in jaw-joint height is linked to suborder differences in relative facial height due in turn to increased encephalization, basicranial flexion, and facial kyphosis in anthropoids. Due to a more elongate ascending ramus, anthropoids evince more vertically oriented masseters than like-sized strepsirhines. Having a relatively longer ramus and a more medially displaced lateral pterygoid plate, crown anthropoids exhibit medial pterygoids oriented similar to those of strepsirhines, but with a variably longer lever arm. As anthropoid masseters are less advantageously placed to effect transverse movements/forces, we argue that balancing-side deep-masseter activity underlying a wishboning loading regime serves to increase, or at least maintain, transverse levels of jaw movement and occlusal force at the end of the masticatory power stroke. Crown anthropoids are also more isognathic and isodontic than strepsirhines. A consideration of early anthropoids suggests that the crown anthropoid masticatory pattern, i.e., more vertical masseters due to a high condyle as well as greater isognathy and isodonty, occurred stepwise during stem anthropoid evolution. This appears to correspond to a more transverse, and perhaps progressively larger, power stroke across oligopithecids, parapithecids, and propliopithecids.

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Catarrhine Origins

Harrison¹

2013

A Companion to Paleoanthropology

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A new species of Pliopithecus from the middle Miocene of China and its implications for early catarrhine zoogeography

Cited by 39 publications

References 20 publications

The zoogeographic and phylogenetic relationships of early catarrhine primates in Asia

The zoogeographic and phylogenetic relationships of early catarrhine primates in Asia

Evolution of anthropoid jaw loading and kinematic patterns

Catarrhine Origins

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