Anoiapithecus
Encyclopedia
Anoiapithecus is an extinct genus
of ape
thought to be closely related to Dryopithecus
. Both genera lived during the Miocene
, approximately 12 million years ago. Fossil specimens named
by Salvador Moyà-Solà
Anoiapithecus brevirostris are known from deposits from Spain
.
The discoverers describe Anoiapithecus brevirostris as a hominoid (superfamily Hominoidea) in the Dryopithecine tribe. They believe that it has more modern traits then the Kenyapithecines from which Kenyapithecus wickeri
from Kenya brings fragmentary information. The African specimens are considered a sister taxon to the hominids, and 2 million year younger European specimens must be from after the time that these two groups split. This means that hominids may have evolved in Europe.
The name comes from the Anoia River
region in Catalonia
, where the fossil was found. It has been given the nickname Lluc (since it is a male individual). The name Lluc is the Catalan form of Luke, which in Latin suggests "light" and this discovery enlighted our early evolution
The modern anatomical features that characterized the family Hominidae
visible in Lluc's fossil among others are: unique facial pattern for hominoids, nasal aperture wide at the base, high cheek bone
, deep palate.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
thought to be closely related to Dryopithecus
Dryopithecus
Dryopithecus was a genus of apes that is known from Eastern Africa into Eurasia during the late Miocene period. The first species of Dryopithecus was discovered at the site of Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne, France, in 1856...
. Both genera lived during the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
, approximately 12 million years ago. Fossil specimens named
Author citation (zoology)
In zoological nomenclature, author citation refers to listing the person who first makes a scientific name of a taxon available. This is done in a scientific publication while fulfilling the formal requirements under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, hereinafter termed "the Code"...
by Salvador Moyà-Solà
Salvador Moyà-Solà
Salvador Moyà-Solà is a Spanish anthropologist. He works in the Instituto de Paleontología Miquel Crusafont in Sabadell, Catalonia. From 1983 to 2006, he was affiliated with the Diputación Provincial de Barcelona. In 2006 he became investigator of the Physical Anthropology unit of the Universidad...
Anoiapithecus brevirostris are known from deposits from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The discoverers describe Anoiapithecus brevirostris as a hominoid (superfamily Hominoidea) in the Dryopithecine tribe. They believe that it has more modern traits then the Kenyapithecines from which Kenyapithecus wickeri
Kenyapithecus wickeri
Kenyapithecus wickeri was a fossil ape discovered by Louis Leakey in 1961 at a site called Fort Ternan in Kenya. The upper jaw and teeth were dated to 14 million years ago....
from Kenya brings fragmentary information. The African specimens are considered a sister taxon to the hominids, and 2 million year younger European specimens must be from after the time that these two groups split. This means that hominids may have evolved in Europe.
The name comes from the Anoia River
Anoia River
The Anoia is a river in Catalonia, Spain, most of whose course is within thecomarca of the same name. Its source is in the municipality of Veciana at...
region in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, where the fossil was found. It has been given the nickname Lluc (since it is a male individual). The name Lluc is the Catalan form of Luke, which in Latin suggests "light" and this discovery enlighted our early evolution
The modern anatomical features that characterized the family Hominidae
Hominidae
The Hominidae or include them .), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees , gorillas , humans , and orangutans ....
visible in Lluc's fossil among others are: unique facial pattern for hominoids, nasal aperture wide at the base, high cheek bone
Zygomatic bone
The zygomatic bone is a paired bone of the human skull. It articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. The zygomatic is homologous to the jugal bone of other tetrapods...
, deep palate.
See also
- Chororapithecus
- SamburupithecusSamburupithecusSamburupithecus was a primate that lived in Kenya during the middle to late Miocene. The one species in this genus, Samburupithecus kiptalami, is known only from a maxilla fragment dated to 9.5 Ma discovered by Hidemi Ishida and Martin Pickford in 1997. Samburupithecus was approximately...
- Pierolapithecus
- Nakalipithecus