Nakalipithecus nakayamai

Taxobox
name = "Nakalipithecus nakayamai"
fossil_range = Late Miocene (Tortonian)
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Primates
subordo = Haplorrhini
infraordo = Simiiformes
parvordo = Catarrhini
superfamilia = Hominoidea
familia = Hominidae
subfamilia = Homininae
genus = "Nakalipithecus"
genus_authority =
species = "N. nakayamai"
binomial = "Nakalipithecus nakayamai"
binomial_authority =

"Nakalipithecus nakayamai" is a prehistoric great ape species that lived in today's Kenya region early in the Late Miocene, 10 million years ago (mya). [http://africa.reuters.com/world/news/usnT48931.html Experts find jawbone of pre-human great ape in Kenya] By Katie Nguyen, Reuters.com, 13 November 2007, retrieved 15 November 2007] It is the type species of the new genus "Nakalipithecus". This ape was described from a fossil jawbone and eleven isolated teeth excavated in 2005 by a team of Japanese and Kenyan researchers in mud flow deposits in Nakali region of northern Kenya's Rift Valley Province,Kunimatsu "et al" (2007)] giving the genus its scientific name which means "Nakali ape".

The fossil teeth were covered in thick enamel, suggesting that the diet of this hominoid included a considerable amount of hard objects, possibly nuts or seeds. According to Kyoto University researchers, the "Nakalipithecus" species is very close to the last common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans. It can therefore be considered a basal member of the Homininae, before they split up into the three lineages alive today. "Nakalipithecus" also resembles the genus "Ouranopithecus", another prehistoric hominid species found in present-day Greece and Turkey.

The evolutionary importance of "Nakalipithecus" is twofold: first, together with "Ouranopithecus" it provides evidence that the Homininae lineages of today diverged no earlier than some 8 million years ago. Second, it supports the theory that the closest relatives of humans evolved in Africa. The competing view - that modern-type Great Apes went extinct in Africa and that the Homininae were originally an Asian lineage which only later recolonized Africa - is hard to reconcile with the early Late Miocene presence of a basal hominine in Africa. [Kunimatsu "et al." (2007), Viegas (2007)]

The name of the genus refers to Nakali, the region where the fossil was found, while the species is named after Japanese geologist Katsuhiro Nakayama who died while working on the project ["Daily Nation": [http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=110560 "Major fossil discovery"] . Version of 2007-NOV-14. Retrieved 2007-NOV-14] .

Footnotes

References

* (2007): A new Late Miocene great ape from Kenya and its implications for the origins of African great apes and humans. "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" 104(49) pp.19220–19225 (December 4, 2007)
* (2007): [http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/11/12/ape-gorilla-ancestor.html "Mama, Is That You? Possible Ape Ancestor Found"] . "Discovery News". Version of 2007-NOV-12. Retrieved 2007-NOV-13. Contains photo of fossil.