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The Miocene primate Pliobates is a pliopithecoid

Author

Listed:
  • Florian Bouchet

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès)

  • Clément Zanolli

    (UMR 5199)

  • Alessandro Urciuoli

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès
    08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès
    Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt
    28871 Alcalá de Henares)

  • Sergio Almécija

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès
    American Museum of Natural History
    New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology)

  • Josep Fortuny

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès)

  • Josep M. Robles

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès)

  • Amélie Beaudet

    (Paléoécosystèmes et Paléoprimatologie (PALEVOPRIM), UMR 7262 CNRS, Univ. Poitiers
    University of Cambridge
    University of the Witwatersrand)

  • Salvador Moyà-Solà

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès
    Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats
    Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès)

  • David M. Alba

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès)

Abstract

The systematic status of the small-bodied catarrhine primate Pliobates cataloniae, from the Miocene (11.6 Ma) of Spain, is controversial because it displays a mosaic of primitive and derived features compared with extant hominoids (apes and humans). Cladistic analyses have recovered Pliobates as either a stem hominoid or as a pliopithecoid stem catarrhine (i.e., preceding the cercopithecoid–hominoid divergence). Here, we describe additional dental remains of P. cataloniae from another locality that display unambiguous synapomorphies of crouzeliid pliopithecoids. Our cladistic analyses support a close phylogenetic link with poorly-known small crouzeliids from Europe based on (cranio)dental characters but recover pliopithecoids as stem hominoids when postcranial characters are included. We conclude that Pliobates is a derived stem catarrhine that shows postcranial convergences with modern apes in the elbow and wrist joints—thus clarifying pliopithecoid evolution and illustrating the plausibility of independent acquisition of postcranial similarities between hylobatids and hominids.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian Bouchet & Clément Zanolli & Alessandro Urciuoli & Sergio Almécija & Josep Fortuny & Josep M. Robles & Amélie Beaudet & Salvador Moyà-Solà & David M. Alba, 2024. "The Miocene primate Pliobates is a pliopithecoid," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-47034-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47034-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brenda R. Benefit & Monte L. McCrossin, 1997. "Earliest known Old World monkey skull," Nature, Nature, vol. 388(6640), pages 368-371, July.
    2. Nancy J. Stevens & Erik R. Seiffert & Patrick M. O’Connor & Eric M. Roberts & Mark D. Schmitz & Cornelia Krause & Eric Gorscak & Sifa Ngasala & Tobin L. Hieronymus & Joseph Temu, 2013. "Palaeontological evidence for an Oligocene divergence between Old World monkeys and apes," Nature, Nature, vol. 497(7451), pages 611-614, May.
    3. Isaiah Nengo & Paul Tafforeau & Christopher C. Gilbert & John G. Fleagle & Ellen R. Miller & Craig Feibel & David L. Fox & Josh Feinberg & Kelsey D. Pugh & Camille Berruyer & Sara Mana & Zachary Engle, 2017. "New infant cranium from the African Miocene sheds light on ape evolution," Nature, Nature, vol. 548(7666), pages 169-174, August.
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