Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of Paradolichopithecus sushkini Trofimov 1977, a large-bodied cercopithecine monkey from the Pliocene of Eurasia

Nasal architecture in <i>Procynocephalus wimani</i> (Early Pleistocene, China) and implications for its phyletic relationship with <i>Paradolichopithecus</i>

“…Many scholars have suggested that these primates arose in the Early Pliocene of western Eurasia and then dispersed eastward based on the geological age and distribution of the fossils (Necrasov et al, 1961;Jolly, 1967;Delson, 1974;Delson and Nicolaescu-Pliopsor, 1975;Aguirre and Soto, 1978;Ardito and Mottura, 1987;Eronen and Rook, 2004;Takai et al, 2008). The present evaluations of the three species do not contradict such a view, but they also support alternative biogeographic scenarios.…”

“…This genus is usually regarded as being closely related to Procynocephalus (Delson, 1975;Szalay and Delson, 1979;Takai et al, 2008), and is sometimes regarded as a junior synonym of the latter with few differences in dental morphology and size (Jolly, 1967;Simons, 1970). However, Trofimov (1977) emphasized that there are more sharply ridged molars and a more developed M 3 hypoconulid in Paradolichopithecus than in Procynocephalus.…”

“…However, Trofimov (1977) emphasized that there are more sharply ridged molars and a more developed M 3 hypoconulid in Paradolichopithecus than in Procynocephalus. Unfortunately, comparable fossil materials are restricted for Procynocephalus (Szalay and Delson, 1979;Takai et al, 2008). Thus, the phyletic relationship between the two genera is still being debated.…”

“…Central Asian Para. sushkini has some characteristics found in modern Papio, including a lacrimal fossa located in the lacrimal bone, moderate maxillary and mandibular fossae, and molars large relative to premolars (Maschenko, 1994;Takai et al, 2008). Thus, the surface features of these extinct taxa do not conform to the distribution of those seen in living papionins.…”

Dental microwear texture analysis of late Pliocene Procynocephalus subhimalayanus (Primates: Cercopithecidae) of the Upper Siwaliks, India

“…The shared maxillary sinus morphology of Macaca and Paradolichopithecus sushkini from Tajikistan indicates macaques radiated to the East through central rather than southern Asia [12]. Alternatively, Paradolichopithecus sushkini could have evolved its macaque-like maxillary morphology independently given its absence in early Pleistocene Paradolichopithecus gansuensis from China [13].…”