Nacholapithecus

Extinct genus of hominoids

Nacholapithecus Temporal range: middle Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓

Nacholapithecus kerioi at the Kyoto University Museum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Family:	†Proconsulidae
Genus:	†Nacholapithecus Ishida, Kunimatsu, Nakatsukasa & Nakano, 1999
Species
†Nacholapithecus kerioi Ishida et al., 1999

Nacholapithecus kerioi was an ape that lived 14-15 million years ago^[1] during the Middle Miocene. Fossils have been found in the Nachola formation in northern Kenya. The only member of the genus Nacholapithecus, it is thought to be a key genus in early hominid evolution. Similar in body plan to Proconsul, it had a long vertebral column with six lumbar vertebrae, no tail, a narrow torso, large upper limbs with mobile shoulder joints, and long feet.^[2]

Together with other Kenyapithecinae such as Equatorius, Kenyapithecus, and Griphopithecus, Nacholapithecus displayed synapomorphies with Anoiapithecus.^[3]

Taxonomy

Nacholapithecus was initially classified as belonging in Kenyapithecus,^[4] then attributed^[5] to Equatorius (with Equatorius perhaps grouped into a subfamily Equatorinae, instead of both species in Afropithecini),^[6]^[7] finally recognised by Ishida et al. (1999) as a separate genus.^[8]^[9]^[10] Classified perhaps as a member of the family Proconsulidae.^[11]

Fossil finds

Nacholapithecus kerioi is known from the lowest part of the Aka Aiteputh Formation, one of five formations in the Neogene System in Nachola, Samburu District, northern Kenya.^[12]^[13] The formation is largely part of the north-western rift flank overlying the Nachola Formation.^[14]

References

Cameron, D. W. (2004). Hominid Adaptations and Extinctions. UNSW Press. ISBN 9780868407166.
Henke, W.; Hardt, T. (2007). Handbook of paleoanthropology. Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-32474-4.
Ishida, H.; Pichford, M.; Nakaya, H.; Nakano, Y. (1984). "Fossil anthropoids from Nachola and Samburu Hills, Samburu District, Kenya". African Study Monographs. Supplementary Issue. 2 (2): 73–85. doi:10.14989/68314.
Ishida, H.; Kunimatsu, Y.; Nakatsukasa, M.; Nakano, Y. (1999). "New hominoid genus from the Middle Miocene of Nachola, Kenya". Anthropological Science. 107 (2): 189–191. doi:10.1537/ase.107.189.
Ishida, H.; Kunimatsu, Y.; Takano, T.; Nakano, Y.; Nakatsukasa, M. (2004). "Nacholapithecus skeleton from the Middle Miocene of Kenya". Journal of Human Evolution. 46 (1): 69–103. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2003.10.001. PMID 14698685.
Ishida, H.; Tuttle, R.; Pickford, M.; Ogihara, N.; Nakatsukasa, M. (2006). Ishida, H.; Tuttle, R.; Pickford, M.; Ogihara, N.; Nakatsukasa, M. (eds.). Human Origins and Environmental Backgrounds. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer. ISBN 9780387296388.
Moyà-Solà, S.; Alba, D. M.; Almécija, S.; Casanovas-Vilar, I.; Köhler, M.; de Esteban-Trivigno, S.; Robles, J. M.; Galindo, J.; Fortuny, J. (2009). "A unique Middle Miocene European hominoid and the origins of the great ape and human clade". PNAS. 106 (24): 9601–06. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106.9601M. doi:10.1073/pnas.0811730106. PMC 2701031. PMID 19487676.
Nakatsukasa, M.; Kunimatsu, Y. (May–June 2009). "Nacholapithecus and its importance for understanding hominoid evolution". Evolutionary Anthropology. 18 (3): 103–119. doi:10.1002/evan.20208. S2CID 84530387.
Russon, A. E.; Begun, D. R. (2004). Russon, A. E.; Begun, D. R. (eds.). The Evolution of Thought: Evolutionary Origins of Great Ape Intelligence. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521783354.
Sawada, Y.; Saneyoshi, M.; Nakayama, K.; Sakai, T.; Itaya, T.; Hyodo, M.; Mukokya, Y.; Pickford, M.; Senut, B.; Tanaka, S. (2006). "The Ages and Geological Backgrounds of Miocene Hominoids Nacholapithecus, Samburupithecus, and Orrorin from Kenya". Human Origins and Environmental Backgrounds. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer. pp. 71–96. doi:10.1007/0-387-29798-7_6. ISBN 978-0-387-29638-8.
Ward, S.; Brown, B.; Hill, A.; Kelley, J.; Downs, W. (1999). "Equatorius: A new hominoid genus from the middle Miocene of Kenya". Science. 285 (5432): 1382–1386. doi:10.1126/science.285.5432.1382. PMID 10464093.
Zalmout, I. S.; Sanders, W. J.; MacLatchy, L. M.; Gunnell, G. F.; Al-Mufarreh, Y. A.; Ali, M. A.; Nasser, A.-A. H.; Al-Masari, A. M.; Al-Sobhi, S. A.; Nadhra, A. O.; Matari, A. H.; Wilson, J. A.; Gingerich, P. D. (2010). "New Oligocene primate from Saudi Arabia and the divergence of apes and Old World monkeys". Nature. 466 (7304): 360–364. Bibcode:2010Natur.466..360Z. doi:10.1038/nature09094. PMID 20631798. S2CID 205220837.

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Haplorhini

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates

Haplorhini

†"Omomyidae"

Altanius? Altiatlasius? Bownomomys Kohatius
Microchoerinae	Indusomys Melaneremia Microchoerus Nannopithex Necrolemur Paraloris Pseudoloris Quercyloris Vectipithex
"Anaptomorphinae"	Absarokius Anaptomorphus Anemorhysis Arapahovius Aycrossia Chlororhysis Gazinius Pseudotetonius Sphacorhysis Strigorhysis Tatmanius Teilhardina Tetonius Tetonoides Trogolemur Walshina
"Omomyinae"	Ageitodendron Asiomomys Brontomomys Chipetaia Chumashius Diablomomys Dyseolemur Ekwiiyemakius Gunnelltarsius Hemiacodon Jemezius Loveina Macrotarsius Nesomomys Omomys Ourayia Rooneyia Shoshonius Steinius Stockia Uintanius Utahia Washakius Wyomomys Yaquius
Tarkadectinae	Tarka Tarkadectes Tarkops

Tarsiiformes

†Archicebus †Afrotarsiidae? †"Omomyidae"?
Tarsiidae	Carlito Cephalopachus †Hesperotarsius †Oligotarsius Tarsius †Xanthorhysis?

Simiiformes

- see below↓

Simiiformes

†Altiatlasius?
†Amamria
†Aseanpithecus
†Nosmips?
†Phileosimias?

†Afrotarsiidae?

Afrasia
Afrotarsius

†Eosimiidae

Bahinia
Eosimias
Phenacopithecus

†Amphipithecidae

Amphipithecus
Bugtipithecus?
Ganlea
Krabia
Myanmarpithecus
Pondaungia
Siamopithecus

†Parapithecoidea

Arsinoea Biretia
Proteopithecidae	Proteopithecus Serapia
Parapithecidae	Abuqatrania Apidium Parapithecus Qatrania Ucayalipithecus

Platyrrhini

†Parvimico †Perupithecus †Szalatavus †Canaanimico †Branisella †Lagonimico
Aotidae	Aotus †Tremacebus
Pitheciidae	†Antillothrix Cacajao Callicebus †Carlocebus †Cebupithecia Cheracebus Chiropotes †Homunculus †Insulacebus †Mazzonicebus †Miocallicebus †Nuciruptor Pithecia Plecturocebus †Proteropithecia †Soriacebus †Xenothrix
Atelidae	Alouatta Ateles Brachyteles †Caipora †Cartelles †Chilecebus Lagothrix †Mohanamico Oreonax †Paralouatta †Protopithecus †Solimoea †Stirtonia
Cebidae	†Acrecebus Cebus †Dolichocebus †Killikaike †Panamacebus †Patasola Saimiri Sapajus
Callitrichidae	Callimico Callithrix Cebuella Leontocebus Leontopithecus Mico †Micodon Saguinus

Catarrhini	see below↓

Catarrhini

†Micropithecus
†Saadanius

†Oligopithecidae

Catopithecus
Oligopithecus
Talahpithecus

†Propliopithecidae

Aegyptopithecus
Propliopithecus

†Pliopithecoidea

Krishnapithecus Paidopithex †Kapi
Pliopithecidae	Epipliopithecus Pliopithecus
Dionysopithecidae	Dionysopithecus Platodontopithecus
Crouzeliidae	Anapithecus Barberapithecus Crouzelia Egarapithecus Fanchangia Laccopithecus Plesiopliopithecus Pliobates

Cercopithecoidea

†Alophe

†Victoriapithecidae

Noropithecus
Nsungwepithecus?
Prohylobates?
Victoriapithecus
Zaltanpithecus

Colobinae

Cercopithecinae

Cercopithecini	Allenopithecus Allochrocebus Cercopithecus Chlorocebus Erythrocebus Miopithecus †Nanopithecus
Papionini	Cercocebus †Dinopithecus †Gorgopithecus Lophocebus Macaca Mandrillus Papio †Paradolichopithecus †Parapapio †Pliopapio †Procercocebus †Procynocephalus Rungwecebus †Soromandrillus Theropithecus

Hominoidea	see below↓

Hominoidea

†Afropithecus †Ekembo †Equatorius †Griphopithecus †Kamoyapithecus? †Kenyapithecus †Morotopithecus †Nacholapithecus †Otavipithecus †Proconsul †Samburupithecus
†Dendropithecidae	Dendropithecus Micropithecus? Nyanzapithecus Oreopithecus? Rangwapithecus Rukwapithecus Simiolus Turkanapithecus
Hylobatidae	†Bunopithecus Hoolock Hylobates †Junzi Nomascus Symphalangus †Yuanmoupithecus

Hominidae

†Graecopithecus †Nakalipithecus †Ouranopithecus
Ponginae	†Ankarapithecus †Gigantopithecus †Indopithecus †Khoratpithecus †Lufengpithecus †Meganthropus Pongo †Sivapithecus

Pan
Hominina	†Ardipithecus? †Australopithecus †Graecopithecus? Homo †Kenyanthropus †Orrorin? †Sahelanthropus? †Paranthropus