Procercocebus
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Procercocebus is an extinct genus of papionine cercopithecid from Pliocene and Pleistocene South Africa.[1]
Taxonomy
Procercocebus is considered part of a monophyletic clade including the extant Cercocebus and Mandrillus; the white-eyelid mangabeys and the mandrills/drills respectively, as well as the extinct Soromandrillus.[2][3] A direct ancestral relationship between Procerocebus and Cercocebus has been suggested on the grounds of anatomical similarity.[3]
Procercocebus was originally considered a species of Papio (baboons), and then Parapapio, Parapapio antiquus.[4]
Description
Procercocebus is generally considered small to medium sized, weighing about 10–20 kg (22–44 lb) and is distinguished from other papionines by a suite of cranial and dental characteristics.[3][5]
Crania
Skull
The cranium of Procercocebus is smaller and narrower than other papionines, and has a straight nasal profile.[5][3] The nuchal crests are upturned and the temporal lines are divergent.[3][2] Before the orbits there is no anteorbital drop, a trait seen in other papionines.[3][2] Procercocebus has maxillary ridges that are prominent, though not as prominent as in Mandrillus. The maxilla is also dotted with maxillary fossae that extend up to and partially into the infraorbital plate.[3] Sexual dimorphism within Procercocebus has been observed, with females having less upturned nuchal crests and less divergent temporal lines.[2]
Dentition
The most defining trait of Procercocebus is their enlarged mandibular premolars. The distal loph of the third molar is reduced, and the molars flare less than in Mandrillus.[3]
Paleoecology
Distribution
Known from the same locality as the famous Taung Child, it has been suggested that Procercocebus was hunted by a large bird of prey.[3][6] Within the Taung locality, Procercocebus is the most common fossil primate.[3][7] Procercocebus serves as evidence that the lineage containing Cercocebus had inhabited the southern portions of Africa, which then promptly disappeared around 2 million years ago. Suggested hypotheses for the extinction of the Cercocebus lineage in South Africa include competition from Papio species and climate change resulting in more arid conditions.[3]
Paleobiology
Procercocebus likely ate hard foods, as indicated by its large premolars.[3] Due to the sheer amount of Procercocebus fossils in the Taung locality, it has been suggested that P. antiquus was the preferred prey item of a raptor similar to the African crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus).[3]
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Procercocebus antiquus Gilbert 2007 (monkey)". PaleoBioDB.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gilbert, Christopher C. (2013-05-01). "Cladistic analysis of extant and fossil African papionins using craniodental data". Journal of Human Evolution. 64 (5): 399–433. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.01.013. ISSN 0047-2484.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gilbert, C.C., 2007. Craniomandibular morphology supporting the diphyletic origin of mangabeys and a new genus of the Cercocebus/Mandrillus clade, Procercocebus. J. Hum. Evol. 53, 69-102.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Proctor, Darby (2007-04-24). "Taxon, Site and Temporal Differentiation Using Dental Microwear in the Southern African Papionins" (PDF). Georgia State University.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Tesla A. Monson~University of California, Berkeley~tesla monson@berkeley edu; Marianne F. Brasil~University of California, Berkeley~mbrasil@berkeley edu; Witwatersrand~Dominic.Stratford@wits.ac.za, Dominic J. Stratford~University of the; Leslea J. Hlusko~University of California, Berkeley~hlusko@berkeley edu (2017-03-14). "Patterns of craniofacial variation and taxonomic diversity in the South African Cercopithecidae fossil record". Palaeontologia Electronica. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Thackeray, Francis J.; Dumoncel, Jean; Gommery, Dominique; Kgasi, Lazarus; Tawane, Gaokgatlhe M.; de Beer, Frikkie C.; Hoffman, Jakobus W.; Bam, Lunga C. (2019-02-01). "Morphometric comparison of semicircular canals of Parapapio broomi and P. jonesi from Sterkfontein, South Africa". South African Journal of Science. 115 (1–2): 1–3. doi:10.17159/sajs.2019/a0303. ISSN 0038-2353.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Szalay, Frederick S.; Delson, Eric (1979). Evolutionary History of the Primates (1st ed.). Academic Press. p. 346. ISBN 0126801509.
External links
- Mikko's Phylogeny Archive
- Proctor, Darby. Taxon, Site and Temporal Differentiation Using Dental Microwear in the Southern African Papionins. M.A. Thesis. Georgia State University, 2007.
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