Stem Catarrhine radiation
Stem Catarrhine Radiation
Late Eocene to Pliocene
Presented by
Kim & Anthony Lakas
Anthropology 206
2010
Late Eocene to the end of the Early Miocene
 _____________________
o One of the more complete fossils from the Fayum Egypt is a monkey named
Catopithecus brownii, a diurnal, arboreal quadruped, that probably fed primarily
on insects.
o One characteristic linking C. brownii with modern day anthropoids is the shared
dental formula between it and all modern _____ World monkeys (2/1/2/3).
 ___________________________
o The largest of the Fayum Egypt anthropoids, Aegyptopithecus, was roughly the
size of a modern howler, 13 to 18 pounds (Fleagle, 1983)
o With a dental formula of ____-____-____-____, Aegyptopithecus shows the
familiar Old World anthropoid pattern.
o This species has an auditory region which is similar to that found in platyrrhines,
having no _________ tube and the tympanic fused to the lateral surface of the
bulla (Fleagle, 1988).
o Primatologist John Fleagle (1983) has concluded that Aegyptopithecus was a
short-limbed, heavily muscled, slow-moving arboreal quadruped.
o Dental remains from different individuals vary greatly in canine size. This fact
implies that sexual _____________ was quite marked.
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Stem Catarrhine radiation
o Such sexual dimorphism in modern primates is frequently associated with
______________ mating patterns and competition among males for mates. Thus,
we may infer that these behaviors were typical of Aegyptopithecus.
 _______________________
o Proconsul is one of the best represented Miocene hominoid in the fossil record. It
lived from approximately ________________ million years ago.
o From the full array of remains it has been shown that there was considerable
variation in this genus. Body sizes ranged from that of a small monkey (10
pounds) to that of a female gorilla (150 pounds).
o They also inhabited a wide range of environmental niches. This included open
woodlands as well as dense rain forests and it is believed that perhaps some were
partially terrestrial.
o They exhibit the typical Old World anthropoid dental pattern of 2-1-2-3.
Proconsul also has the typical ________________ of cusps seen in the lower
molars of hominoids. Their teeth also consist of a thin layer of enamel which
suggests that they were probably fruit eaters.
o Brain size estimates show that their brains were as large or larger than
contemporary Old World monkeys though probably ________ as large as
contemporary hominoids.
 First Ape – Early Miocene
 ___________________________ – open shoulder that allowed for brachiating.
 Middle Miocene Radiation
 ___________________________ – Kenya
o Kenyapithecus wickeri was a fossil ape discovered by Louis Leakey in 1961 at a
site in Kenya.
o One theory states that Kenyapithecus may be the ___________ ancestor of all the
great apes. More recent investigations suggest Kenyapithecus is more primitive
than that and is only slightly more modern than Proconsul.
o Kenyapithecus also possessed macaque-like limbs adapted for a _______________________ mode of semi-terrestrial locomotion.
 Pierolopithecus – ___________
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Stem Catarrhine radiation
o Pierolapithecus __________________ is an extinct species of primate which
lived about 13 million years ago during the Miocene in what is now Hostalets de
Pierola, Catalonia (Spain) giving the name to the species.
o It is believed by some to be a common ancestor of both _______ __________ and
the other great apes, or at least a species that brings us closer to a common
ancestor than any previous fossil discovery.
 ______________________ – France
 Dryopithecus hungaricus – Hungary
 Oreopithecus bamboli – __________ (cookie monster)
o The scientific name Oreopithecus quickly inspired the commonly used though
unofficial name for the species among paleontologists, Cookie Monster.
o Its foot was birdlike and had an anatomy different from the early bipedal human
ancestors. The big toe of its unique foot splayed out ___ _________ from the
other toes, all of which were shorter and straighter than those of modern apes.
 ________________ – Asia
o Sivapithecus had a dental formula of 2:1:2:3 on both the upper and lower jaw
(Fleagle, 1988)
o This species had an average body mass of around 58.0 kilograms (Fleagle, 1988).
o Sivapithecus sivalensis was found on the continent of Asia.(Fleagle, 1988).
o Based upon the dental morphology this species was a ____________ that ate
fruits with hard pits (Fleagle, 1988).
 Gigantopithecus – ________
o This species had an average body mass of around 300.0 kilograms (Fleagle,
1988).
o Gigantopithecus lived on the continent of Asia, and was found in the countries of
China and __________ (Fleagle, 1988)
o Based upon the jaw and teeth morphology this species probably foraged on hard,
fibrous material (Conroy, 1990).
o Based upon the estimated body mass this species was most likely a __________
_____________ much like the extant species Gorilla gorilla (Fleagle, 1988).

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Stem Catarrhine radiation
 Late Miocene
 Ouranopithecus _______________
o Ouranopithecus is a prehistoric hominid species found in _________.
o One distinctive trait shared with the humans and other modern African apes is the
_______ _________, a cavity in the forehead.
o It had a large, broad face with a prominent _______ _________. It also had
square-shaped orbits. It may have had a relative large body size.
o Sexual dimorphism is evident by the teeth.
o Based on the heavily pitted surface of the second molar of Ouranopithecus
macedoniensis, it is assumed that its diet consisted of harder foods such as nuts or
tubers.
 Ankaripithecus
o It was a 60-pound fruit-eating ape, remains of which were found close to Ankara
in central ___________, first in the 1950s.
o It is the only known member of its genus, which has similar properties to
Sivapithecus.
 Sahelanthropus ________
o This species was named in July 2002 from fossils discovered in Chad in Central
Africa (Brunet et al. 2002, Wood 2002).
o It is the oldest known hominid or near-hominid species, dated at between 6 and 7
million years old.
o This species is known from a nearly complete cranium nicknamed Toumai, and a
number of fragmentary lower jaws and teeth.
o S. tchadensis has many primitive apelike features, such as small brainsize, along
with others, such as the brow ridges and ________ canine teeth, which are
characteristic of later hominids. This mixture, along with the fact that it comes
from around the time when the hominids are thought to have diverged from
chimpanzees, suggests it is close to the common ancestor of ______and
_____________.
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Stem Catarrhine radiation
 ________________
o This species was named in July 2001 from fossils discovered in western Kenya
(Senut et al. 2001).
o The fossils include fragmentary arm and thigh bones, lower jaws, and teeth and
were discovered in deposits that are about ____ million years old.
o The limb bones are about ________ times larger than those of Lucy, and suggest
that it was about the size of a female chimpanzee. The Orrorin _______ is more
similar to that of H. sapiens than is Lucy's.
o Its finders have claimed that Orrorin was a human ancestor adapted to both
___________ and tree climbing.
o This hominid lived in a dry evergreen forest habitat, which suggests it probably
had a diet similar to that of a modern ape.
 Ardipithecus _______________
o is known only from teeth and bits and pieces of skeletal bones, and is dated to
approximately _________ million years ago.
o It has been described as a "probable ancestor”of A. ramidus. Although originally
considered a subspecies of ______________, in 2004 anthropologists published
an article elevating A. kadabba to species level on the basis of newly-discovered
teeth from Ethiopia.
 __________
 _________________ ramidus
o This extremely ancient hominid was discovered in 1992 by a team led by
anthropologist Tim White of the University of California, Berkeley.
o The first fossils recovered were pieces of the skull, a mandible, teeth, and arm
bones. Additional fragments recovered in 1994, together with the previous finds,
added up to about ______ percent of the skeleton.
o Ardipithecus ramidus was _________ when on the ground, but went on all fours
when climbing trees, and had a big toe that could ______ _________.
o Wear patterns on dental remains indicate Ardipithecus ramidus was omnivorous,
and ate a broad range of foods
 Australopithecus _____________
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Stem Catarrhine radiation
o Known specimens of this hominid, one of the _________ australopithecines, date
to 4.2–3.9 mya.
o The teeth of Australopithecus anamensis are markedly apelike (large canines,
parallel tooth rows), while the _________ _____________suggests it was bipedal.
o This species was named in August 1995 (Leakey et al. 1995).
o Anamensis existed between _____ and _____ million years ago, and has a mixture
of primitive features in the skull, and advanced features in the body. The teeth and
jaws are very similar to those of older fossil apes. A partial tibia is strong
evidence of bipedality, and a lower __________ is extremely humanlike.
 ______________________ afarensis
 afarensis existed between 3.9 and 3.0 million years ago.
o Afarensis had an apelike face with a low forehead, a bony ridge over the eyes, a
flat nose, and ____ ________. They had protruding jaws with large back teeth.
o The skull is similar to that of a chimpanzee. The canine teeth are _______
________ than those of modern apes, but _________ and more ________ than
those of humans, and shape of the jaw is between the rectangular shape of apes
and the parabolic shape of humans.
o However their ________and leg bones far more closely resemble those of modern
man, and leave no doubt that they were bipedal.(Leakey 1994)).
o Their bones show that they were physically very strong. Females were
substantially smaller than males. Height varied between about 107 cm (3'6") and
152 cm (5'0").
o The finger and toe bones are curved and proportionally _________ than in
humans, but the hands are similar to humans in most other details (Johanson and
Edey 1981).
 Australopithecus ____________
 existed between 2.6 and 2.3 million years ago.
o This species is known from one major specimen, the ______ _______ discovered
by Alan Walker, and a few other minor specimens which may belong to the same
species.
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Stem Catarrhine radiation
o The brain size is very small and parts of the skull, particularly the hind portions,
are very primitive, most resembling afarensis.
o Other characteristics, like the massiveness of the face, jaws and single tooth
found, and the largest ______ _______ in any known hominid, are more
reminiscent of A. boisei (Leakey and Lewin 1992).
 Australopithecus _________
o This species was named in April 1999 (Asfaw et al. 1999).
o It is known from a partial skull. The skull differs from previous australopithecine
species in the combination of its features, notably the ________ __________ size
of its teeth, especially the rear ones, and a primitive skull morphology.
o Some nearby skeletal remains may belong to the same species. They show a
humanlike ratio of the humerus and femur, but an ape like ratio of the lower and
upper arm. (Groves 1999; Culotta 1999)
 Australopithecus _________
 existed between 2.1 and 1.1 million years ago.
o It was similar to robustus, but the face and cheek teeth were even _____
__________, some molars being up to 2 cm across.
o The brain size is very similar to robustus, about 530 cc.
o A few experts consider boisei and robustus to be __________ of the same species.
 ___________________ africanus
o africanus existed between 3 and 2 million years ago.
o It is similar to afarensis, and was also bipedal, but body size was slightly greater.
Brain size may also have been slightly larger, ranging between 420 and 500 cc.
This is a little larger than chimp brains (despite a similar body size), but still not
advanced in the areas necessary for ___________.
o The back teeth were a little bigger than in afarensis. Although the teeth and jaws
of africanus are much larger than those of humans, they are far more similar to
human teeth than to those of apes (Johanson and Edey 1981).
o The shape of the jaw is now fully _______________, like that of humans, and the
size of the canine teeth is further reduced compared to afarensis.

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Stem Catarrhine radiation
 Australopithecus ___________
 had a body similar to that of africanus, but a larger and more robust skull and teeth.
o It existed between ____ ____ _______ million years ago.
o The massive face is flat or _________, with no forehead and large brow ridges. It
has relatively small front teeth, but massive grinding teeth in a large lower jaw.
o Most specimens have sagittal _________.
o Its diet would have been mostly coarse, tough food that needed a lot of chewing.
o Bones excavated with robustus skeletons indicate that they may have been used as
____________.
 Homo habilis
o H. habilis, "______ _______", was so called because of evidence of tools found
with its remains.
o Habilis existed between _____ and _____ million years ago.
o It is very similar to australopithecines in many ways. The face is still primitive,
but it projects less than in A. africanus. The back teeth are smaller, but still
considerably larger than in modern humans. The average brain size, at 650 cc, is
considerably larger than in australopithecines. The brain shape is also more
humanlike.
o The bulge of ____________ area, essential for speech, is visible in one habilis
brain cast, and indicates it was possibly capable of rudimentary speech.
o Habilis is thought to have been about 127 cm (5'0") tall, and about 45 kg (100 lb)
in weight, although females may have been smaller.
o Broca’s area is found
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