Fossil muzzles and other puzzles
Article Abstract:
There is no consensus on the ancestral states for the common ancestor of monkeys and apes, although the cranial morphology of large-eyed, round-headed and short-snouted primates are widely thought to closely approximate the primitive catarrhine pattern. Benefit and McCrossin's description of the preserved cranium of a middle Miocene Old World Monkey is of much significance, as it is argued that it confirms that the character states for catarrhines include low cranial vault, moderately long snout, and linear facial profile.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1997
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Earliest known Old World monkey skull
Article Abstract:
Skull similarities are often used to determine ancestor-descendant links between fossil and living ape genera, particularly between late Miocene apes and and the living Sumatran orang-utan. However well preserved fossil crania of the Old World monkeys, is rare. A complete skull of Victoriapithecus at middle Miocene deposits in Kenya has been discovered, representing a branch of Old World monkey intermediate between extant cercopithecids and common ape ancestors.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1997
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Did our ancestors knuckle-walk?
Article Abstract:
A criticism is presented of the findings of paleoanthropologists B.G. Richmond and D.S. Strait who analyzed and compared the wrist joint of early hominids and apes and concluded that they all walked on their knuckles.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 2001
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