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New infant cranium from the African Miocene sheds light on ape evolution

Author

Listed:
  • Isaiah Nengo

    (De Anza College
    Turkana Basin Institute, Social and Behavioral Sciences Building N-507, Stony Brook University)

  • Paul Tafforeau

    (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CS-40220)

  • Christopher C. Gilbert

    (Hunter College of the City University of New York
    The Graduate Center of the City University of New York
    New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology)

  • John G. Fleagle

    (Health Sciences Center, Stony Brook University)

  • Ellen R. Miller

    (Wake Forest University, Winston Salem)

  • Craig Feibel

    (Rutgers University, New Brunswick
    Rutgers University, Piscataway)

  • David L. Fox

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Josh Feinberg

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Kelsey D. Pugh

    (The Graduate Center of the City University of New York
    New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology)

  • Camille Berruyer

    (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CS-40220)

  • Sara Mana

    (Salem State University)

  • Zachary Engle

    (Rutgers University, Piscataway)

  • Fred Spoor

    (University College London
    Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

Abstract

The evolutionary history of extant hominoids (humans and apes) remains poorly understood. The African fossil record during the crucial time period, the Miocene epoch, largely comprises isolated jaws and teeth, and little is known about ape cranial evolution. Here we report on the, to our knowledge, most complete fossil ape cranium yet described, recovered from the 13 million-year-old Middle Miocene site of Napudet, Kenya. The infant specimen, KNM-NP 59050, is assigned to a new species of Nyanzapithecus on the basis of its unerupted permanent teeth, visualized by synchrotron imaging. Its ear canal has a fully ossified tubular ectotympanic, a derived feature linking the species with crown catarrhines. Although it resembles some hylobatids in aspects of its morphology and dental development, it possesses no definitive hylobatid synapomorphies. The combined evidence suggests that nyanzapithecines were stem hominoids close to the origin of extant apes, and that hylobatid-like facial features evolved multiple times during catarrhine evolution.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:548:y:2017:i:7666:d:10.1038_nature23456
    DOI: 10.1038/nature23456
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.

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