Late Eocene of Burma yields earliest anthropoid primate, Pondaungia cotteri

Maw, Ba; Ciochon, Russell L.; Savage, Donald E.

doi:10.1038/282065a0

Cited by 85 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Since their initial description in the early twentieth century, amphipithecid primates have figured prominently in discussions of anthropoid origins (Pilgrim 1927;Colbert 1937;Szalay 1970Szalay , 1972Simons 1971;Ba Maw et al 1979;Ciochon et al 1985). Thanks to renewed field efforts in the Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar, a great deal of additional amphipithecid material has been recovered and described during the past decade ( Jaeger et al 1998( Jaeger et al , 2004Chaimanee et al 2000a;Gunnell et al 2002;Shigehara et al 2002;Marivaux et al 2003;Takai & Shigehara 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new primate from the Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar and the monophyly of Burmese amphipithecids

Beard

Marivaux

Chaimanee³

et al. 2009

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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The family Amphipithecidae is one of the two fossil primate taxa from Asia that appear to be early members of the anthropoid clade. Ganlea megacanina, gen. et sp. nov., is a new amphipithecid from the late middle Eocene Pondaung Formation of central Myanmar. The holotype of Ganlea is distinctive in having a relatively enormous lower canine showing heavy apical wear, indicating an important functional role of the lower canine in food preparation and ingestion. A phylogenetic analysis of amphipithecid relationships suggests that Ganlea is the sister taxon of Myanmarpithecus, a relatively small-bodied taxon that has often, but not always, been included in Amphipithecidae. Pondaungia is the sister taxon of the Ganlea þ Myanmarpithecus clade. All three Pondaung amphipithecid genera are monophyletic with respect to Siamopithecus, which is the most basal amphipithecid currently known. The inclusion of Myanmarpithecus in Amphipithecidae diminishes the likelihood that amphipithecids are specially related to adapiform primates. Extremely heavy apical wear has been documented on the lower canines of all three genera of Burmese amphipithecids. This distinctive wear pattern suggests that Burmese amphipithecids were an endemic radiation of hard object feeders that may have been ecological analogues of living New World pitheciin monkeys.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new primate from the Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar and the monophyly of Burmese amphipithecids

Beard

Marivaux

Chaimanee³

et al. 2009

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…They consist of a fragment of left lower jaw with M͞2-M͞3 [holotype, Geological Survey of India (GSI) D201], a left maxilla fragment with M͞1-M͞2 (GSI D203), and a fragment of right lower jaw with M͞3 (GSI D202). Later, a right lower jaw fragment with M͞2-M͞3 [University of California Museum of Paleontology 120377 ϭ National Museum of Myanmar (Primate) (NMMP) 1] was discovered near Mogaung Village (2). Two additional specimens of P. cotteri subsequently were discovered near Mogaung Village: a fragment of left lower jaw with M͞2-M͞3 (NMMP 3) and a right lower jaw fragment with very worn M͞2-M͞3 (NMMP 5) (3).…”

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confidence: 99%

A lower jaw of Pondaungia cotteri from the Late Middle Eocene Pondaung Formation (Myanmar) confirms its anthropoid status

Chaimanee

Thein

Ducrocq

et al. 2000

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Pondaungia cotteri is the largest primate known from the Late Middle Eocene Pondaung Formation, Myanmar. Its taxonomic status has been the subject of much debate because of the fragmentary nature of its remains. Initially described as an anthropoid, some authors recently have associated it with adapid primates. These debates have been fueled not only by the incompleteness of the fossils attributed to Pondaungia but also by the reticence of many authors to regard Asia as an important evolutionary theater for Eocene anthropoids. During the November 1998 Myanmar-French Pondaung Expedition, a right lower jaw was discovered that yields the most nearly complete dentition of Pondaungia cotteri ever found: it shows the complete horizontal ramus, alveoli for the second incisor and canine, three premolars, and three molars. The symphysis showed all characteristics of anthropoids but was unfused. The canine root is large, the first premolar is absent, and the second premolar is single-rooted, reduced, and oblique in the tooth row, as in anthropoids. The premolars show a reduced mesio-distal length compared with the tooth row, and their morphology is very similar to that of Amphipithecus mogaungensis. Therefore, the two Pondaung taxa appear to be closely related to each other, with Siamopithecus as their sister taxon.

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“…Nevertheless, these Burmese animals, Pondaugia and Amphipithecus, are probably no older and could be younger than the L-41 site. Although species of these two genera have prior claims as earliest anthropoideans (9)(10)(11), the case for their inclusion in Anthropoidea rests on considerably less morphological evidence than can be put forward for Catopithecus. (Fig.…”

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Description of two genera and species of late Eocene Anthropoidea from Egypt.

Simons

1989

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

146

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In 1987 and 1988 fossils of two previously unknown genera and species of Egyptian early Tertiary Anthropoidea were discovered in the Fayum Depression of Egypt. These are much older than all other Fayum, Oligocene primates and are believed to be Eocene in age. These genera, here named Catopithecus and Proteopithecus, come from a new Fayum site, L-41, and resemble Oligopithecus from the Jebel Qatrani Formation (lower sequence) at quarry E. They are here placed with the latter in a subfamily, Oligopithecinae, that is ranked in the Propliopithecidae. The level of L-41 is separated from quarry E by at least one major unconformity and 47 m of section. Only a maxilla of Proteopithecus is known. Its molars and premolars resemble those of later Fayum Propliopithecus and Aegyptopithecus and do not resemble those of Apidium and Parapithecus, all of which come from the Jebel Qatrani Formation, upper sequence. The type specimen of Catopithecus confirms a lower dental formula of 2-1-2-3, as in Catarrhini. These species appear to be the oldest primates undoubtedly related to humans. Their dental anatomy points to a derivation of Anthropoidea from Eocene adapids.

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Late Eocene of Burma yields earliest anthropoid primate, Pondaungia cotteri

Cited by 85 publications

References 11 publications

A new primate from the Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar and the monophyly of Burmese amphipithecids

A new primate from the Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar and the monophyly of Burmese amphipithecids

A lower jaw of Pondaungia cotteri from the Late Middle Eocene Pondaung Formation (Myanmar) confirms its anthropoid status

Description of two genera and species of late Eocene Anthropoidea from Egypt.

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