Comparative and functional anatomy of phalanges in Nacholapithecus kerioi , a Middle Miocene hominoid from northern Kenya

Nakatsukasa, Masato; Kunimatsu, Yutaka; Nakano, Yukiko I.; Takano, Tomo; Ishida, Hidemi

doi:10.1007/s10329-003-0051-y

Cited by 69 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…enlarged medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity) that suggest a greater role of orthograde climbing in N. kerioi. Later studies of the shoulder girdle, phalanges, and vertebral column of KNM-BG 35250 (Nakatsukasa et al, 2003(Nakatsukasa et al, , 2007bSenut et al, 2004) generally support these earlier conclusions. The present study aims to retest the interpretation by Rose et al (1996) using new materials and to unveil characteristics that were unknown in the previously available specimens.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Although the distal tarsal row is represented only by the medial cuneiform, which is large for the presumed body mass, other cuneiforms and cuboids are probably large at least in their distal portions. Likewise, the length of the hallux is comparable to that of female chimpanzees (Nakatsukasa et al, 2003). A large foot with a developed hallux likely enabled N. keroi to grasp relatively thick vertical supports securely.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…In N. kerioi, the asymmetry of the trochlea groove is more emphasized than in Proconsul and other African fossil hominoids due to a more prominent lateral trochlear rim (Figure 8), which may be related to ef- fective weight transfer during inversion. The medial tubercle of the posterior talar body is remarkably large, suggesting greater development of the long hallucal flexor, which must be associated with the unusually large size of the hallux (Nakatsukasa et al, 2003). The implication is that N. kerioi engaged in climbing or other antipronograde activities more frequently compared to Proconsul.…”

Section: Comparative Remarksmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Since the pedal phalanges have been fully described elsewhere (Nakatsukasa et al, 2003), these elements are excluded from the list. Original specimens of N. kerioi and other comparative hominoids were studied in the National Museums of Kenya and the Uganda Museum.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hind limb of the <i>Nacholapithecus kerioi</i> holotype and implications for its positional behavior

Nakatsukasa

Kunimatsu

Shimizu

et al. 2012

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We present the definitive description of the hind limb elements of the Nacholapithecus kerioi holotype (KNM-BG 35250) from the middle Miocene of Kenya. Previously, it has been noted that the postcranial (i.e. the phalanges, spine, and shoulder girdle) anatomy of N. kerioi shows greater affinity to other early/middle Miocene African hominoids, collectively called 'non-specialized pronograde arboreal quadrupeds,' than to extant hominoids. This was also the case for the hind limb. However, N. kerioi exhibits a unique combination of postcranial characters that distinguish this species from other early/middle Miocene African hominoids. The femoral neck has a high angle, but is relatively short, though the adaptive meaning of this form is not readily understood. In the distal femur, the shape of the patellar surface and symmetry of the femoral condylar widths suggest that the knee was not typically abducted but assumed more variable movements and/or postures. Whereas the morphologies of the talocrural and intertarsal joints are generally similar to those of the other fossil hominoids, the tibial malleolus is extremely thick and asymmetry of the talar trochlea groove is more emphasized due to a more prominent lateral trochlear rim than in Proconsul and other African fossil hominoids. The distal foot segment is more elongated. The (non-hallucal) metatarsals appear relatively gracile due to the elongation. The proximal joints of these metatarsals are, nonetheless, large. Ligamentous attachments of the tarsal/metatarsal bones are generally well developed. The distal tarsal row, which is represented only by the medial cuneiform, though, is extremely large for the presumed body mass. In terms of function, the femur, ankle, and tarsal joints are interpreted behaviorally to represent a slow-moving arboreal quadruped. However, the foot of N. kerioi appears to be more specialized for inverted grasping and subvertical support use. All of these foot features are suggestive of a greater role for antipronograde activities in N. kerioi relative to other Miocene 'pronograde arboreal quadrupeds.'

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Comparative Remarksmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Hind limb of the <i>Nacholapithecus kerioi</i> holotype and implications for its positional behavior

Nakatsukasa

Kunimatsu

Shimizu

et al. 2012

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“…Midshaft robusticity is similar to that in Pan, Proconsul, and most Old World monkeys. Manual/pedal phalangeal ratios are like those in extant hominoids and unlike those in Proconsul [for discussion see (40,41)]. …”

Section: A F B C D Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Combining Prehension and Propulsion: The Foot of Ardipithecus ramidus

Lovejoy

Latimer

Suwa

et al. 2009

Science

220

275

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Several elements of the Ardipithecus ramidus foot are preserved, primarily in the ARA-VP-6/500 partial skeleton. The foot has a widely abducent hallux, which was not propulsive during terrestrial bipedality. However, it lacks the highly derived tarsometatarsal laxity and inversion in extant African apes that provide maximum conformity to substrates during vertical climbing. Instead, it exhibits primitive characters that maintain plantar rigidity from foot-flat through toe-off, reminiscent of some Miocene apes and Old World monkeys. Moreover, the action of the fibularis longus muscle was more like its homolog in Old World monkeys than in African apes. Phalangeal lengths were most similar to those of Gorilla . The Ardipithecus gait pattern would thus have been unique among known primates. The last common ancestor of hominids and chimpanzees was therefore a careful climber that retained adaptations to above-branch plantigrady.

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Earliest colobine skeletons from Nakali, Kenya

Nakatsukasa

Mbua

Sawada

et al. 2010

American J Phys Anthropol

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Old World monkeys represent one of the most successful adaptive radiations of modern primates, but a sparse fossil record has limited our knowledge about the early evolution of this clade. We report the discovery of two partial skeletons of an early colobine monkey (Microcolobus) from the Nakali Formation (9.8-9.9 Ma) in Kenya that share postcranial synapomorphies with extant colobines in relation to arboreality such as mediolaterally wide distal humeral joint, globular humeral capitulum, distinctly angled zona conoidea, reduced medial trochlear keel, long medial epicondyle with weak retroflexion, narrow and tall olecranon, posteriorly dislocated fovea on the radial head, low projection of the femoral greater trochanter, wide talar head with a greater rotation, and proximodistally short cuboid and ectocuneiform. Microcolobus in Nakali clearly differs from the stem cercopithecoid Victoriapithecus regarding these features, as Victoriapithecus is postcranially similar to extant small-sized terrestrial cercopithecines. However, degeneration of the thumb, a hallmark of modern colobines, is not observed, suggesting that this was a late event in colobine evolution. This discovery contradicts the prevailing hypothesis that the forest invasion by cercopithecids first occurred in the Plio-Pleistocene, and shows that this event occurred by the late Miocene at a time when ape diversity declined.

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Comparative and functional anatomy of phalanges in Nacholapithecus kerioi , a Middle Miocene hominoid from northern Kenya

Cited by 69 publications

References 58 publications

Hind limb of the <i>Nacholapithecus kerioi</i> holotype and implications for its positional behavior

Hind limb of the <i>Nacholapithecus kerioi</i> holotype and implications for its positional behavior

Combining Prehension and Propulsion: The Foot of Ardipithecus ramidus

Earliest colobine skeletons from Nakali, Kenya

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