Afropithecus turkenensis

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Afropithecus turkenensis skull

Skull of Afropithecus turkenensis (Nat.His.Mus.Paris,cast)

Afropithecus turkenensis is a Miocene hominoid found in 1986 at Kalodirr, a site near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, dated 16 - 18 mya. A total of 46 specimens of Afropithecus included cranial, mandible, dental and post-cranial remains, reported by Richard and Meave Leakey and Alan Walker in 1988.
A. turkanensis was a large hominoid with relatively thick tooth enamel. It shared some postcranial features with Proconsul nyanzae, and some cranial features with Aegyptopithecus zeuxis. A. turkanensis was a primitive, arboreal quadruped similar to P. nyanzae, with primitive facial morphology similar that of A. zeuxis (Leakey et al. 1991).

The type specimen, KNM-WT 16999, includes part of the facial skeleton, much of the maxilla and premaxilla, and adult dentition with procumbent incisors. The palate of A. turkanensis is shallow, long and narrow with tooth rows that converge posteriorly, and probably were originally nearly parallel, with large, broad incisors. A. turkanensis is the oldest known hominid with thick tooth enamel, distinguishing it from Kenyapithecus.

Post-cranial remains include an associated right fibula 184 mm long (lacking the proximal portion), nearly the same size as that of modern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), a right proximal third metatarsal, a right fourth metatarsal lacking the head, and an incomplete first metatarsal head. Other post-cranial remains include a large right ulna, and foot or hand bones.

Morphological analysis of the teeth and palate of Afropithecus suggests that it had derived dental characteristics indicating a foraging diet of hard fruits.

References:
Leakey, R.E., M.G. Leakey, and A.C. Walker 1988. Morphology of Afropithecus turkanensis from Kenya. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 76 (3): 289–307.
Leakey, M.G; R.E. Leakey, J.T. Richtsmeier, E.L. Simons, and A.C.Walker 1991. Similarities in Aegyptopithecus and Afropithecus Facial Morphology. Folia Primatologica. 56 (2): 65–71.

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	Afropithecus turkenensis skull Skull of Afropithecus turkenensis (Nat.His.Mus.Paris,cast)

	Afropithecus turkenensis is a Miocene hominoid found in 1986 at Kalodirr, a site near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, dated 16 - 18 mya. A total of 46 specimens of Afropithecus included cranial, mandible, dental and post-cranial remains, reported by Richard and Meave Leakey and Alan Walker in 1988. A. turkanensis was a large hominoid with relatively thick tooth enamel. It shared some postcranial features with Proconsul nyanzae, and some cranial features with Aegyptopithecus zeuxis. A. turkanensis was a primitive, arboreal quadruped similar to P. nyanzae, with primitive facial morphology similar that of A. zeuxis (Leakey et al. 1991). The type specimen, KNM-WT 16999, includes part of the facial skeleton, much of the maxilla and premaxilla, and adult dentition with procumbent incisors. The palate of A. turkanensis is shallow, long and narrow with tooth rows that converge posteriorly, and probably were originally nearly parallel, with large, broad incisors. A. turkanensis is the oldest known hominid with thick tooth enamel, distinguishing it from Kenyapithecus. Post-cranial remains include an associated right fibula 184 mm long (lacking the proximal portion), nearly the same size as that of modern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), a right proximal third metatarsal, a right fourth metatarsal lacking the head, and an incomplete first metatarsal head. Other post-cranial remains include a large right ulna, and foot or hand bones. Morphological analysis of the teeth and palate of Afropithecus suggests that it had derived dental characteristics indicating a foraging diet of hard fruits. References: Leakey, R.E., M.G. Leakey, and A.C. Walker 1988. Morphology of Afropithecus turkanensis from Kenya. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 76 (3): 289–307. Leakey, M.G; R.E. Leakey, J.T. Richtsmeier, E.L. Simons, and A.C.Walker 1991. Similarities in Aegyptopithecus and Afropithecus Facial Morphology. Folia Primatologica. 56 (2): 65–71.
	Athena Review Image Archive™ Main index of Athena Review Copyright © 1996-2020 Rust Family Foundation (All Rights Reserved).

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Afropithecus turkenensis skull

Skull of Afropithecus turkenensis (Nat.His.Mus.Paris,cast)

Afropithecus turkenensis is a Miocene hominoid found in 1986 at Kalodirr, a site near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, dated 16 - 18 mya. A total of 46 specimens of Afropithecus included cranial, mandible, dental and post-cranial remains, reported by Richard and Meave Leakey and Alan Walker in 1988.

References:

Leakey, R.E., M.G. Leakey, and A.C. Walker 1988. Morphology of Afropithecus turkanensis from Kenya. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 76 (3): 289–307.

Leakey, M.G; R.E. Leakey, J.T. Richtsmeier, E.L. Simons, and A.C.Walker 1991. Similarities in Aegyptopithecus and Afropithecus Facial Morphology. Folia Primatologica. 56 (2): 65–71.

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