A window into the early evolutionary history of Cercopithecidae: Late Miocene evidence from Chad, Central Africa

J Hum Evol. 2019 Jul:132:61-79. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.013. Epub 2019 May 18.

Abstract

Central Africa is known as a major center of diversification for extant Old World Monkeys (OWM) and yet has a poorly documented fossil record of monkeys. Here we report a new colobine monkey (Cercopithecoides bruneti sp. nov.) from the Central African hominin-bearing fossiliferous area of Toros-Menalla, Chad at ca. 7 Ma. In addition to filling a gap in the spatial and temporal record of early OWM evolutionary history, we assess the ecomorphological diversity of early OWM by providing evidence on the onset of a folivorous diet and a partial reacquisition of terrestrial locomotor habits among Miocene colobines. We also support the phylogenetic affinities of the genus Cercopithecoides among the stem group of the extant African colobine monkeys.

Keywords: Adaptive radiation; Cercopithecoides; Colobinae; Ecomorphology; Stem colobini.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Evolution*
  • Cercopithecidae / anatomy & histology
  • Cercopithecidae / classification*
  • Cercopithecidae / physiology
  • Chad
  • Diet / veterinary*
  • Fossils / anatomy & histology*
  • Locomotion*
  • Paleontology
  • Phylogeny