Proconsul major
TAXONOMY:
- suborder: Haplorrhini
- infraorder: Catarrhini
- superfamily: Hominoidea
- family: Proconsulidae
MORPHOLOGY:
Proconsul major had a dental formula of 2:1:2:3 on both the upper and lower jaw (Fleagle, 1988). The canines of this species are sexually dimorphic (Fleagle, 1988). The inferior transverse torus is absent in this species (Conroy, 1990). The superior transverse torus is well-developed in this species (Conroy, 1990). This species had an average body mass of around 50.0 kilograms (Fleagle, 1988).
RANGE:
Proconsul major lived on the continent and occurred during the early Miocene (Fleagle, 1988).
DIET:
Based upon dental morphology this was a frugivorous species (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.
Last updated: November 15, 2001
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