Laccopithecus robustus


TAXONOMY:

This species has considered to be a fossil gibbon (Wu and Pan, 1984, 1985; cited in Fleagle, 1988).

MORPHOLOGY:
Laccopithecus robustus has a dental formula of 2:1:2:3 on both the upper and lower jaws (Fleagle, 1988). This species had lower incisors which were high crowned and narrow (Conroy, 1990). In this species the canines and anterior premolars are sexually dimorphic much like that found in Pliopithecus vindobonensis (Fleagle, 1988). The lower fourth premolar is molariform and the premolars are relatively large (Conroy, 1990). Also like Pliopithecus species, this species has large orbits and a short snout (Fleagle, 1988). However, unlike Pliopithecus species, in this species the zygomatic region is more robust (Fleagle, 1988). This species had well-developed superior and inferior mandibular tori (Conroy, 1990). This species had an average body mass of around 12.0 kilograms (Fleagle, 1988).

RANGE:
Laccopithecus robustus lived on the continent of Asia, and was found in the country of China (Fleagle, 1988). This species occurred during the late Miocene (Fleagle, 1988).

REFERENCES:
Conroy, G.C. 1990. Primate Evolution. W.W. Norton and Co.: New York.

Fleagle, J.G. 1988. Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press: New York.

Wu, R. and Pan, Y. 1984. A Late Miocene Gibbon-like Primate from Lufeng, Yunnan Province. Acta Anthropol. Sinica. Vol. 3, 193-200.

Wu, R. and Pan, Y. 1985. Preliminary Observation on the Cranium of Laccopithecus robustus from Lufeng, Yunnan, with Reference to its Phylogenetic Relationship. Acta Anthropol. Sinica. Vol. 4(1), 7-13.

Last updated: November 16, 2001

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