Cebupithecia sarmientoi


TAXONOMY:

MORPHOLOGY:
Cebupithecia sarmientoi had a dental formula of 2:1:3:3 on the lower jaw (Fleagle, 1988). The incisors of this species were procumbant and the canines had a stout appearance (Fleagle, 1988). The molars were flat with cusps having little contours (Fleagle, 1988). In this species the ectotympanic ring is fused to the auditory bulla (Striton, 1951; cited in Martin, 1990). This species had an average body mass of around 2.2 kilograms (Fleagle, 1988).

RANGE:
Cebupithecia sarmientoi was found on the continent of South America, in the country of Colombia (Fleagle, 1988). This species occurred during middle Miocene (Fleagle, 1988).

DIET:
Based upon dental morphology this was a frugivorous species in which seeds also played an important part in the diet (Fleagle, 1988).

LOCOMOTION:
Based on the postcranial remains this species was most likely relied more on vertical clinging and leaping rather than quadrupedal locomotion, much like members of the extant genus Pithecia (Fleagle, 1988).

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

Martin, R.D. 1990. Primate Origins and Evolution: A Phylogenetic Reconstruction. Princeton University Press: Princeton, New Jersey.

Stirton, R.G. 1951. Ceboid Monkeys from the Miocene of Colombia. Univ. Calif. Publs, Bull. Dep. Geol. Sci., Vol. 28, 315-356.

Last updated: November 15, 2001

[Primate Evolution] [Origins] [Tree-shrews] [Platyrrhine] [Taxonomy] [Distribution] [Links] [Definitions] [The Primata] [Email Me]