Singleton - Fossil Hominoid Diets

8/3/2019 Singleton - Fossil Hominoid Diets

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/singleton-fossil-hominoid-diets 1/22

16 • Fossil hominoid diets, extractive foraging,and the origins of great ape intelligenceMICHELLE SINGLETONDepartment of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Downers Grove

The History of every major Galactic Civilizationtends to pass through three distinct andrecognizable phases . . . the rst phase ischaracterized by the question How can we eat? thesecond by the question Why do we eat? and thethird by the question Where shall we have lunch?

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

INTRODUCTION

Ecological hypotheses for the evolution of great apeintelligence relate selective pressures for increased intel-ligence to biologicaland environmentalparameters suchas body size, metabolicrate, life history, diet, home rangesize, habitat stratication, and predation risk (Clutton-Brock & Harvey 1980; Dunbar 1992; Gibson 1986;Milton 1981, 1988; Sawaguchi 1989, 1992). Of these,diet is the ecological selective pressure most frequentlyinvoked to explain the emergence of great ape cogni-tive abilities. A correlation between diet and relativebrain size in primates has long been established; fru-givorous primates tend to have relatively larger brainsthan closely related folivorous taxa (Clutton-Brock &Harvey 1980; Milton 1981, 1988; Sawaguchi 1992).This pattern was most often explained in terms of thediffering nutritional properties of fruits and leaves. Ahigh-energy, fruit-based diet, it was thought, releasedenergetic and metabolic constraints, allowing acceler-ated neonatal brain growth and maintenance of rela-tively greater adult brain mass (Jolly1988; Martin1981).

However, the expansion of energy-hungry brain tissuewill occur only where it confers an immediate adap-tive advantage (Dunbar 1992). In other words, adequateenergy supply is a necessary precondition for, but not initself a sufcient stimulus to, increased encephalization.

Researchers seeking such a stimulus have tendedto focus upon the adaptive role of intelligence in

solving the unique foraging problems posed by primatediets. Cognitive mapping hypotheses (Clutton-Brock &Harvey 1980; Milton 1981, 1988) posit that primates’reliance on foods that are clumped, spatially dispersed,and temporally ephemeral necessitates maintenance of complex mental maps spurring evolution of increasedmental capacity (Milton 1981, 1988). The extractiveforaging hypothesis (Gibson 1986; Parker & Gibson1977) emphasizes the importance of “embedded” foodresources such as nuts, tubers, social insects, and piththat require skilled manipulation. This hypothesis andits variants stress reliance upon tool-mediated extrac-tive foraging and complex food preparation techniquesas key to differences in cognitive capacity between greatapes and other anthropoids (Byrne 1996, 1997; Byrne &Byrne 1993; Parker 1996; and see Byrne, Chapter 3,Yamagiwa, Chapter 12, Yamakoshi, Chapter 9, thisvolume).

Dietary hypotheses for theoriginsofgreatape intel-ligence posit specic selective pressures favoring theevolution of this unique suite of cognitive and technicalcapacities. Such adaptationist scenarios are notoriouslydifcult to test (Byrne 1997; Gould & Lewontin 1984),but their assumptions and predictions may be evalu-ated via the comparative method. Unfortunately, thisavenue of inquiry is severely limited by the evolution-ary history of the hominoids. The extant apes representgeographicallyrestricted relictpopulations, the last sur-vivors of a taxonomicallydiverse andgeographically dis-persed radiation with its roots in theearly Miocene.The

divergence of Asian and African great apes is dated to aminimum of 10 Ma; the separation of the gorilla andchimpanzee lineages to approximately 7 Ma; and thesplit between the two chimpanzee species, to as recentlyas 2 Ma (Begun 1999). Thus, modern great apes areproducts of several million years of independent evolu-tion, and each exhibits distinct and highly specialized

Copyright Anne Russon and David Begun 2004.

298



Fossil hominoid diets and extractive foraging 299

ecological adaptations. This combination of ecologicaldiversity and taxonomic poverty precludes statisticaltesting of ecological correlates of ape intelligence andmakes even qualitative comparisons difcult. Effortsto reconstruct ancestral great ape dietary patterns on

the basis of extant great ape characteristics are similarlyfraught. This leads to the paradoxical situation in whichecologicalhypotheses forthe evolution ofgreatape intel-ligence may be inspired by extant ape adaptations butare unlikely to be strongly corroborated by them.

Fortunately, comparisons are not restricted to mod-ern forms. Hominoid paleoecology is well studied(Andrews 1981, 1992; Andrews et al . 1996; Andrews &Martin1991;Benet2000;Fleagle&Kay1985;Temerin& Cant 1983), and the fossil record is sufcientlyspeciose to document a more representative range of hominoid ecological adaptations. Adaptations of theimmediate predecessors to and earliest members of thegreat ape clade furnish evidence of the dietary adapta-tions of the last common ancestor of modern great apes.This fossil-based approach is more than a convenientmeans to reconstructing the ancestral great ape ecotype.A paleontological perspective is absolutely necessaryto understand the origins of great ape cognition. Dis-cussions of “great ape intelligence” assume, explicitlyor implicitly, that the enhanced cognitive capacities of extant great apes are homologous. If these unique men-tal faculties are, in fact, shared, derived features inher-ited from a common ancestor (Parker & Mitchell 1999;Russon & Bard 1996), the selective pressures to whichthis ancestor was subject formed the adaptive milieu inwhich great ape intelligence arose. Logically, hypothe-ses for the origins of great ape intelligence must addressthe ecological adaptations of the earliest great apes.Accordingly, thispaper reviewscurrentevidence for fos-sil hominoid diets with the goals of tracing major trendsin hominoiddietaryevolution, reconstructing theances-tral great ape dietary adaptation, and evaluating dietaryhypotheses for the evolution of great ape intelligence.

RECONSTRUCTION OF FOSSILPRIMATE DIETS

Primates are traditionally classied into three majordietary groups: folivores, frugivores, and insectivores(Martin1990).While allanthropoid primatesareomniv-orous to varying degrees, the term “omnivory” isgenerally reserved for primates such as chimpanzees,

which have particularly catholic dietary preferences(Martin 1990). Because all known catarrhines exceedthe metabolically determined maximum body mass forinsect specialization (Kay 1975), insect consumptionoccurs primarily as a supplement to plant-based diets.

Folivorous primates are those that consume substantialquantities of leaves or herbaceous matter such as grasses,stems, and piths, supplemented with varying amountsof fruit and animal protein. Frugivores consume a fruit-based diet supplementedwith higher protein foods suchas leaves, nuts, insects,and smallvertebrates.Frugivoresmay be further categorized based on preferences forsmall versus large fruit; ripe versus unripe fruit; or soft,pulpyfruits versus those with hard skins or brousesh.Hard-object feeding,usually treatedas a subclass of fru-givory, encompasses a variety of resistant food items,including nuts, seeds, tubers, rhizomes, and bark, usu-ally as a substantial component of a fruit-based diet.

There are twoprincipal formsofdentalevidenceforfossil primate diets and foraging behavior (Kay 1984):comparative dental morphology – the study of toothsize, shape, and tissue composition (see Table 16.1 forterminology) – and dental wear analysis. A third lineof evidence, stable isotope analysis of dental tissues, isroutinely employed in the reconstructions of primatepaleoenvironments (Behrensmeyer et al . 2002; Cerlinget al . 1997; Quade et al . 1995), but has not been widelyapplied to nonhominin primate fossils (but see Quadeetal . 1995). Allreconstructionsof fossilprimatediets aredrawn within a classic comparative framework and arelimited by the availability of suitable extant comparativemodels (Kay 1984). While this limitation is particularlysalient to the reconstruction of fossil hominoid diets,dentalevidenceremainsourmostreliablesourceofpaleo-dietary information. Combined with information con-cerning body mass, cranialanatomy, locomotorbehavior,and paleoenvironment, it allows us to reconstruct thedietary patterns of fossil primates with reasonable accu-racy. The literature pertaining to fossil primate diets

is both extensive and extensively reviewed (cf. Butler2000; Kay 1977a, 1984; Kay & Covert 1984; Rose &Ungar 1998; Teaford 1994, 2000; Ungar 1998); readersare referred to these papers and citations therein.

Functional dental morphology

Comparative functional analysis of primate dental mor-phology focuses primarilyupon molars and incisors, the



300 M. SINGLETON

Table 16.1. Glossary of morphological terminology

Apical – of or towards the biting surface, especially the cusp tips (ant. Cervical).Buccal – the tooth surface oriented towards the cheek (ant. Lingual).Cervical – of or towards the tooth root (ant. Apical).

Cingulum (pl. cingula) – an elevated band of enamel encircling a tooth crown.Corpus – the bony body of the lower jaw (mandible).Dentognathic – relating to the anatomy of the teeth and jaws.Diastema – a space between adjacent teeth, usually to accommodate a projecting canine.Distal – a tooth or tooth surface farther from the anterior midline of the jaw (ant. Mesial).Labial – the tooth surface oriented toward the lips (ant. Lingual).Lingual – the tooth surface oriented towards the tongue (ant. Buccal or Labial).Mesial – a tooth or tooth surface closer to the anterior midline of the jaw (ant. Distal).Occlusal – relating to the biting or grinding surface of a tooth.Symphysis – the bony union between the right and left halves of the lower jaw (mandible).Transverse torus – a bony shelf projecting lingually from the mandibular symphysis.Zygomatic – a bone of the check region to which a principal masticatory muscle attaches.

principal agents of mastication and ingestion, respec-tively. In comparisonwithothermammalianorders, pri-matespossess relativelygeneralizedmolars. Still, certainfeatures of molar morphology are known to be stronglycorrelated with diet across extant primates (Kay 1975,1978,1984;Kay& Hiiemae 1974;Rosenberger& Kinzey1976). In qualitative terms, frugivorous primates possessrelatively short, broad molars, with low crowns, mini-mal cusp relief, expanded occlusal basins and poorlydeveloped shearing crests (Figure 16.1). By contrast,folivorous taxa possess relatively long, narrow molarswith tall crowns, high cusp relief, and increased shear-ing capacity (Kay 1978, 1984). Efforts to quantify thesefeatures have been variably successful. Kay’s “Shear-ing Quotient” (SQ), a quantitative measure of relativemolar shearing capacity, is strongly functionally corre-lated with diet (Kay 1975; Kay & Ungar 1997) and hasbeen widely applied to paleodietary studies. Indices of molar crown shape and cusp relief are less reliable buthave some value as general dietary indicators (Benet

2000; Singleton 2001).Dental enamel, the mineralized surface layer that

gives teeth their hardness, is one of the most intenselystudied features of primate molar morphology (Beynonet al . 1998). There is disagreement regarding the mostappropriate quantication of relative enamel thicknessand denitions of thickness categories vary amongauthors (Martin 1985; Shellis et al . 1998). However, itis generally accepted that thicker enamel is associatedwith themastication of resistant, abrasive,or brittle food

items, while thinner enamel is more efcient for thepro-cessing of soft or pliant items (Kay 1981; Kinzey 1992;Teaford 2000). Thus, relatively thin enamel is foundboth in folivores, where it appears to encourage theformation and maintenance of shearing crests, and insoft fruit feeders, whose molars develop lacunar enameldecits that may increase retention of soft, juicy fooditems between the teeth (Teaford 2000). Conversely,primates specializing on hard or abrasive foods havethickor hyper-thick enamel. Increased enamel thicknessalters external crown geometry, maximizing crushingefciencyandincreasingforcedissipationwhiledecreas-ing shearing capacity (Kay 1981; Macho & Spears 1999;Shellis et al . 1998; Ungar 1998). Under abrasive dietaryregimes, it extends thefunctional life of the tooth simplyby increasing the volume of enamel available to be wornaway before the softer, underlying dentine is exposed(Shellis et al . 1998). For similar reasons, increased rela-tive molar size is thought to be an adaptation to abrasiveorbrousdiets (LucasCorlett & Luke 1986;Shellis etal .

1998). Attempts to correlate tooth size and diet havebeen largely unsuccessful (Ungar 1998), but postcaninemegadonty is frequently associated with nut crackingand hard seed consumption (Kay 1981). Enamel crenu-lation (wrinkling) is likewise associated with hard dietsandmayserve toincreasegrinding efciencyby trappingparticles between opposed crushing surfaces (Lucas &Luke 1984).

Unlike molars, whose function is solely mastica-tory, the incisors and the canine–premolar complex are




Figure 16.1. Hominoidfunctionaldental morphology. Specimensrepresent the extremes of extant hominoiddental adaptation(scalebar = 1 cm). (a) Maxillary molars of gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla )exhibit the tall crowns, high cusp relief, and well-developed shear-ing crests associated with diets dominated by leaves or herbaceousmatter. (b) Maxillary molars of orangutans ( Pongo pygmaeus pyg-maeus)showthelowcrowns,minimalcusprelief,expandedocclusal

basins and densely crenulated (wrinkled) enamel characteristic of frugivores that also consume hard or abrasive food items. (c) Theincisors of gibbons ( Hylobates concolor gabriellae) – which primar-ily consume smaller fruits and, in some taxa, leaves – are relativelysmallerandnarrowerthanthoseof(d)chimpanzees( Pantroglodytestroglodytes), which possess the enlarged, spatulate incisors associ-atedwithconsumption of large fruits requiring incisalpreparation.



302 M. SINGLETON

subject to the competing selective demands of dietaryand non-dietary functions. Because of their role ingrooming, defense, and social display, the morphologyof these teeth is considered a less reliable indicator of dietary patterns (Kay 1981; Teaford 2000). However,

correlations between anterior tooth form and diet havebeen noted(Figure 16.1).Anthropoidprimates thatfeedon leavesor smallfruits have proportionatelysmaller andnarrower incisors relative to body size than those spe-cializing on large, tough-skinned fruits or other objectsrequiring incisal preparation (Eaglen 1984; Hylander1975). Presumably, large, spatulate incisors providegreater working surface area, increasing their efciencyfor tasks such as opening thick-skinned fruits and strip-ping bark. Enlarged incisors should also have longerfunctional lives (Ungar 1998), and thus are thoughtto be selectively advantageous to omnivores and large-object frugivores whose incisors are subject to heavyattrition (Eaglen 1984; Ungar 1998). Dietary adapta-tions of canine morphology are less common and moreidiosyncratic. In particular, South American saki anduakari monkeys (tribe Pitheciini) possess robust, lat-erally splayed canines in combination with bilaterallycompressed and procumbent lower incisors. This func-tional complex supports a specialized mode of seed pre-dation in which the anterior dentition is employed tohusk tough-skinned (sclerocarp) fruits to gain access totheir nutrient-rich seeds (Anapol & Lee 1994; Kinzey1992; Kinzey & Norconk 1990).

Dietary inferences based on comparative morphol-ogy must be drawn with caution (Kay 1984). Primatesentering new niches will exploit novel food resourceswhether their teeth are well-adapted to them or not,and natural selection for improved dental function isexpected to lag somewhat behind major dietary shifts(Teaford 1994). Because it is under close genetic con-trol, dental morphology may not track intra-specicdietary variation and is frequently subject to phyloge-netic effects (Teaford 1994). For example, incisor size

(Eaglen 1984) and enamel thickness (Dumont 1995)both vary systematically across major primate groupsand these differences must be factored into dietary anal-yses. Paleodietary studies must also account for changesin functional dental morphology through time (Kay &Ungar 1997). Average molar shearing capacity increasesin Miocene catarrhines through time (Kay & Ungar1997), and Singleton (2001) has documented similartemporaltrendsinmolarare,anotherfeatureassociated

with diet (Benet 2000).Clearly, it is important to main-tain appropriate phylogenetic and temporal controlswhen drawing morphologicallybased dietary inferences(Ungar 1998).

Dental wear analysis

Dental wear includes macrowear, gross features such asdentine exposuresandhoning facets, andmicrowear, themicroscopic scratches and pits created in dental enamelby tooth on tooth contact (attrition) and by contact withfood itemsor exogenousmaterialssuchas grit (abrasion)(Rose & Ungar 1998; Teaford 1994). Interpretations of dental macrowear are based upon the location, orienta-tion, and relative size of wear facets (Kay 1977b; Kay &Hiiemae 1974; Teaford 1994). High molar wear gradi-ents are considered indicative of abrasive diets (Ungar1998), and distinctive patterns of incisor wear, for ex-ample heavy labial attrition, signal specic premastica-tory behaviors such as stripping of vegetation (Kilgore1989). These assessments are largely qualitative, andmore rigorous functional interpretation of gross wearfeatures has only recently been undertaken (Teaford2000; Ungar & Williamson 2000). By contrast, dentalmicrowear analysis is a well-established and widelyaccepted method of reconstructing fossil primate diets(Gordon 1982, 1984; Kay & Ungar 1997; King 2001;Rose & Ungar 1998; Teaford 1985, 1994, 2000; Teaford& Oyen 1989; Teaford & Runestad 1992; Teaford &Walker 1984; Ungar 1990, 1995, 1996; Ungar & Kay1995). Microwear studies are premised on the fact thatfood items of varying chemical composition and hard-nesscreatecharacteristicpatterns ofmicroscopic defectsin dental enamel. Traditionally, enamel defects are clas-sied as either scratches or pits, and microwear patternsare characterized by the number of pits expressed as apercentage of total microwear features (Teaford & Oyen1989). Comparative studies of extant primates haveestablished that themolars of highly folivorous primates

show low pit percentages (Teaford 1985; Teaford &Runestad1992;Teaford& Walker 1984),soft fruit eatersshow a high percentage of pits, and hard-object feedersexhibit the highest pit percentages (Teaford & Walker1984). It has also been suggested that pit width is indica-tive of diet, with hard-object feeders showing relativelywider pits than soft-object feeders (Teaford & Oyen1989; Teaford & Runestad 1992). Incisor microwear hasbeen studied in the context of ingestive behavior as well




as premasticatory behaviors including fruit husking andleaf stripping (Teaford 1994; Rose & Ungar 1998). Theincisors of frugivorousprimates show a higherdensityof microwear features than those of folivores (Ungar 1990),and characteristic incisor wear patterns have been asso-

ciated with incisal preparation of tough-skinned fruits,stripping of leaves and pith, and consumption of terres-trial resources such as rhizomes and tubers (Ryan1981).Microwear of the canine–premolar complex is poorlystudied(butseeRyan1981),andpatternsassociatedwithbehaviorssuch as thecanine-assistedfruit-husking char-acteristic of pitheciin seed predators are largely unin-vestigated (Anapol & Lee 1994; Kinzey 1992; Kinzey &Norconk 1990).

Dental microwear analysis is subject to severalpotential confounding factors. Individual microwearfeatures are quickly obliterated by subsequent feedingbouts (Teaford & Oyen 1989); thus microwear preservesonly the signal of food items consumed in the last sev-eral days preceding death, the so-called “Last Supper”effect (Grine 1986). Taken alone, incisor microwear canbe an unreliable indicator of dietary patterns (Kelley1990). Microwear patterns differ along the molar row aswell as between shearing and crushing facets (Gordon1982, 1984; Rose & Ungar 1998), and can be subtlyinuencedby seasonal andenvironmentalvariation, sex,age, andeven reproductive status (Teaford 2000). Whilesuchpatterns hold out the possibility of discerningne-grained dietary variation in the fossil record, they alsomandate theanalysis of large samples to avoiderroneousinferences based on sampling artifacts (Rose & Ungar1998).

REVIEW OF MIOCENE HOMINO IDDIETS

Early Miocene (23–17 Ma)

The early Miocene East African primate radiation

encompasses numerous basal catarrhines of uncertainphylogenetic afnities (Harrison 1988) as well as theearliest stem hominoids – species more closely relatedtomodernapes than toany other group. Thebest-knownstem hominoid, Proconsul , retains a primitive catarrhinelocomotor pattern while sharing numerous similaritieswith later Miocene and extant apes (Rose 1994, 1997;Walker 1997). Proconsul incisors are relatively narrow,but the I 1 is slightly enlarged relative to M 1 (Andrews

& Martin 1991). The lower incisors are extremely high-crowned and narrow and frequently show heavy lin-gual wear (Andrews 1978). Proconsul molars are low-crowned with crenulated enamel, large cusps, moderatecusp relief, strong cingula, and poorly developed shear-

ing crests. SQ values are most similar to those of Pantroglodytes (Kay & Ungar 1997), a soft-fruit frugivore,and analyses of molar microwear are likewise consis-tent with frugivory (Walker, Teaford & Ungar 1994;Walker 1997). Proconsul nyanzae shows both lower SQ values and higher microwear pit percentages than eitherP. major or P . heseloni , suggesting it may have con-sumed relatively harder food items (Kay & Ungar 1997;Walker et al . 1994). This is consistent with Andrews,(1978) observation that P. nyanzae shows a strongermolar wear gradient than other Proconsul species. Rel-ative enamel thickness also varies among taxa, with theRusinga Islandspecies ( P. nyanzae and P. heseloni ) show-ing thicker enamel than either P. africanus or P. major (Andrews & Martin 1991; Beynon et al . 1998). Songhorand Koru, the sites from which the latter speciesare known, are reconstructed as wet tropical forests,while Rusinga Island represents a drier, more seasonalwoodland habitat (Andrews, Begun & Zylstra 1997).Thus, Proconsul encompasses a cohort of medium- tolarge-bodied arboreal frugivores whose dietary differ-ences track local environmental variation (Beynon et al .1998).

Afropithecus turkanensis, another stem hominoid,displays a unique suite of dentognathic features, clearlyderived relative to the primitive catarrhine condition(Leakey & Walker 1997; Leakey & Leakey1986; Leakey,Leakey & Walker 1988). Its upper central incisorsare large, mesiodistally broad, and strongly procum-bent. Mandibular incisors are elongate, bilaterally com-pressed, and also strongly procumbent. Canines arestout, low-crowned, and laterally splayed. Afropithecusmolars are low-crowned, with marked basal are, littlecuspal relief, and densely crenulated enamel. Dental

enamel is described as “extremely thick” (Leakey &Walker 1997). Molar crownsexhibit heavy occlusal wearwith signicant loss of crown height and extensive den-tine exposure (Leakey et al . 1988). In contrast withProconsul , the mandible of Afropithecus is characterizedby a deep corpus and elongated symphysis with a dis-tinct inferior transverse torus (Brown 1997), and thefacial skeleton exhibits features consistent with power-ful mastication (Leakey & Walker 1997).



304 M. SINGLETON

Leakey andWalker (1997) likened the anterior den-tition of Afropithecus to that of pitheciin seed preda-tors (Anapol & Lee 1994; Kinzey 1992; Kinzey &Norconk 1990). They point to numerous similaritiesof the facial skeleton and the unusual pattern of api-

cal canine wear as indicative of pitheciin-like ingestivebehaviors; however, Afropithecus differs from pitheciinsin its molar morphology. Sakis and uakaris have thinmolar enamel and show relatively little occlusal wear,features related to the physical properties – tough butneither brittle nor abrasive – of the seeds they consume(Kinzey 1992). By contrast, the thick enamel and heavyocclusal wear of Afropithecus molars indicate consump-tion of food items that were hard, abrasive, or both. Afropithecus faunas are consistent with wooded settingsand Afropithecus has been reconstructed as an arbor-eal quadruped, in most respects indistinguishable fromProconsul (Andrews et al . 1997; Leakey & Walker 1997).This suggests Afropithecus foraged arboreally, consum-ing large, hard-skinned fruits with resistant mesocarpsor hard seeds.

Middle Miocene (16–13 Ma)

Themiddle Miocene wasa periodof signicant environ-mental change characterized by decreased mean annualtemperatures, increased seasonality, and, in Africa, arid-ication and expansion of open woodland and grasslandhabitats (Andrews et al . 1997; Potts, Chapter 13, thisvolume; Wynn & Retallack 2001). In response, middleMiocene hominoids evolved new locomotor and dietaryadaptations (McCrossin & Benet 1997; McCrossinet al . 1998; Nakatsukasa et al . 1998), the true diver-sity of which has only recently been recognized withthe naming of two new hominoid genera (Ishida et al .1999; Ward et al . 1999). Relationships among these taxaremainunresolved, but theyare generallyacknowledgedto be derived in the direction of the modern ape cladewith which they share keypostcranial features (Andrews

1992; Begun 2001; Ishida et al . 1999; McCrossin &Benet 1997; McCrossin et al . 1998; Nakatsukasa et al .1998; Ward et al . 1999).

With the exception of Otavipithecus namibiensis, asouthern African hominoid with idiosyncratic molarmorphology and poorly understood dietary adaptations(Singleton 2000), middle Miocene hominoids share asuite of dental features associated with hard-object fru-givory. The most broadly distributed middle Miocenetaxon, Griphopithecus, is represented at several localities

in Germany and the Vienna Basin (Andrews et al .1996; Heizmann & Begun 2001) but is best knownfrom the Anatolian localities of Candır and Pasalar.The Pasalar sample is believed to comprise two species,Griphopithecus alpani and a second unnamed taxon

(Alpagut, Andrews & Martin 1990). Upper centralincisors assigned to G. alpani are mesiodistally nar-row but robust, with poorly developed lingual cingulaand strong lingual pillars that are frequently obliter-ated by heavy lingual wear (Alpagut et al . 1990). Small,asymmetrical lateral incisors wear quickly to horizontaldentine exposures (Alpagut et al . 1990). Lower incisorsare tall but not bilaterally compressed and show moder-ate lingual wear extending from the incisal edge towardthe cervix (Alpagut et al . 1990). Canines referred toG. alpani are robust and low crowned with massiveroots; mandibular canines show distinctive apical wearfacets (Alpagut et al . 1990). Griphopithecus possesseslow-crowned molars with low, rounded cusps, poorlydeveloped shearing crests and thick, densely crenulatedenamel (Alpagut etal . 1990;King etal . 1998). Consistentwith this pattern, dentine exposures are not observeduntil a crown has worn almost at. The molar crownsare quite broad relative to length and show variableexpression of a shelf-like cingulum which falls rela-tively higher on the crown than in early Miocene formssuch as Proconsul (Alpagut et al . 1990). With moder-ate wear, the cingulum is incorporated into the occlusalsurface, possibly a secondary adaptation to extend func-tional tooth life (Alpagut et al . 1990). King et al . (1998)found that Griphopithecus microwear is similar to that of Pongo, suggesting a frugivorous diet. However, it con-sistently shows higher pit percentages than either Panor Pongo, indicating consumption of harder foods. Fur-ther evidence for hard-object consumption is found inmandibles attributed to G. alpani that are characterizedby robust corpora with massive muscle insertions andstrongly developed transverse tori (Alpagut et al . 1990;Andrews & Tekkaya 1976;G ulec & Begun 2003). Paleo-

dietary reconstructions for the Pasalar fauna are consis-tent with a closed, forested environment (Andrews etal .1997; Geraads et al . 2003; Quade et al . 1995), makinghard fruits or nuts the most likely candidates for thehard-object component of the Griphopithecus diet.

Equatorius (formerly Kenyapithecus, see Ward et al .1999), like Afropithecus, is thought to have been a sclero-carp specialist convergent in many features on pitheci-ins (McCrossin & Benet 1997). Among the traits citedin support of this interpretation are externally rotated,




robust and tusk-like canines; high-crowned, bilater-ally compressed, and strongly procumbent mandibularincisors; enlarged upper premolars; and low-crownedmolars with crenulated enamel. Cranial features indica-tive of forceful incision and powerful mastication

include anteriorly positioned zygomatic roots; strongmaxillarycaninepillars; anda robustmandible with pro-nounced symphyseal buttressing (McCrossin & Benet1997). Also like Afropithecus, Equatorius diverges fromthe pitheciin model in its possession of thick molarenamel caps and heavy molar occlusal wear. Dentalmicrowear analysis of Equatorius molars from MabokoIsland showed large pitwidths andhigh pit percentages,both indicative of hard-object feeding (McCrossin et al .1998; Palmer et al . 1998; Teaford & Oyen 1989). TheMaboko Island habitat has been reconstructed as a sea-sonal open woodland, and postcranial remains indicatethat Equatorius was at least semi-terrestrial (McCrossin& Benet 1997; McCrossin et al . 1998; Sherwood et al .2002). Thus, Equatorius would have had access to ter-restrial resources such as tubers and rhizomes as well asdry forest foods such as sclerocarp fruits, seed pods, andnuts.

Initially attributed to Kenyapithecus (Ishida et al .1984) and subsequently transferred to Equatorius (Wardetal . 1999), thehominoidmaterialfromNachola,Kenya,is now recognized as a distinct genus, Nacholapithecus(Ishida et al . 1999). The Nachola fauna is provision-ally interpreted as a forest or woodland community(Tsujikawa & Nakaya 1998), and Nacholapithecus isdistinguished from Equatorius on the basis of its postcra-nial morphology, which shows adaptations to forelimb-dominated orthograde climbing and clambering(Nakatsukasa et al . 1998; Rose, Nakano & Ishida 1996).The Nacholapithecus dental sample remains largelyundescribed, but the molars are thickly-enameled withlow crown relief andreduced cingula (Ishida et al . 1984).Ishida et al . (1984) described a symphyseal fragmentwith a strong inferior transverse torus but no appreci-

able superior torus, and Kunimatsu et al . (1998) reportmandibular proportions similar to Proconsul . This mor-phology is unlike the robust and strongly buttressedmandibles of Equatorius , thus Nacholapithecus may haveeaten somewhat less-resistant food items than its moreterrestrial contemporary.

Kenyapithecus sensu stricto exhibits an anterior den-tal pattern distinct from that of Equatorius (Ward et al .1999). Maxillary incisors are more symmetrical, withwell-developed enamel features; the canine is high

crowned and bilaterally compressed (Kelley et al . 2002;Ward et al . 1999). The molar morphology and robustmandibular architecture of Kenyapithecus are indica-tive of hard-object feeding, but the high-crowned, rel-atively narrow canines preclude paramasticatory use

as hypothesized for the tusk-like canines of Equatoriusand Afropithecus (Leakey & Walker 1997; McCrossin &Benet 1997). A humerus from Fort Ternan attributedto Kenyapithecus wickeri is said to lack key featuresindicative of terrestriality (McCrossin 1997; Sherwoodet al . 2002), and the Fort Ternan environment has beenreconstructed as both less open andwetter than MabokoIsland (Andrews etal . 1997).This suggests arboreal for-aging as the dominant dietary pattern.

Late Miocene (12–5 Ma)

The late Miocene radiation of hominoids in WesternEurope and Asia Major coincides with the emergence of the great ape clade and the evolution of modern homi-noid suspensory adaptations. While the precise phylo-genetic relationships of the late Miocene hominoids area source of ongoing debate (Begun 2001; Begun, Ward& Rose 1997; de Bonis & Koufos 1997, 2001; Harrison&Rook 1997; K ohler, Moy a-Sol a & Alba2001;Moy a-Sol a& Kohler 1996), their dietary adaptations are among themost thoroughly studied and are largely uncontrover-sial (Kay & Ungar 1997; Teaford & Walker 1984; Ungar1996;Ungar & Kay1995; Ward, Beecher& Kelley1991).

The most cosmopolitan of the late Miocene homi-noid genera, Dryopithecus, is known from localities inAustria, France, Germany, Hungary, Spainand possiblyGeorgia (Begun 1994; Gabunia et al . 2001). Dryopithe-cusspecies are nevertheless fairly uniform in their dentaland dietary adaptations (Begun 1994; Ungar & Teaford1996). In contrast with other Eurasian hominoids andextant great apes, Dryopithecus maxillary incisors aremoderately tall andnarrowbutreduced relative to molararea, a feature in which they resemble hylobatids and

gorillas (Begun 1994). Incisor microwear is consistentwith labiolingual and apicocervical stripping of moder-ately abrasive food items, perhaps young leaves (Ungar1996).Canines are bilaterallycompressed andmesiodis-tally elongated but small relative to molar size. Dryo- pithecus molars are characterized by high crowns withmoderate cusp relief; buccolingually restricted cuspswith peripheral apices; and broad, shallow occlusalbasins (Begun 1994). With the exception of D. fontani ,molar cingula are absent. Molar enamel is thin, and



306 M. SINGLETON

worn cusps exhibit discrete apical dentine exposures(Begun 1994). Shearing quotients, most similar to thoseof Pan paniscus and the more frugivorous gibbons, indi-cate a soft fruit diet (Kay & Ungar 1997; Ungar 1996),as does molar microwear (Kay & Ungar 1997; Ungar

1996). Dryopithecus habitats range from wet subtrop-ical evergreen forest conditions (Andrews & Bernor1999) to more seasonal tropical or subtropical forestenvironments(Andrews etal . 1997).Postcranial remainsindicate that Dryopithecus shared modern great apeadaptations for orthograde body posture and below-branch suspension (Begun 1993; Morbeck 1983; Moy a-Sol a & Kohler 1996; Rose 1994). Thus, Dryopithecusappears to have been an arboreal specialist similar inmany respects to the orangutan. However, its narrowincisors and microwear patterns indicate a diet empha-sizing young leaves and smaller, softer fruits, more sim-ilar to that of extant gibbons.

The dental characters of Oreopithecus bambolii leavelittle doubt as to its dietary adaptations; its dental appa-ratus is unequivocally designed for a highly folivo-rous diet (Harrison & Rook 1997). The incisors aresmall, vertically implanted, and robust (Harrison &Rook 1997; H urzeler 1958). The canines are ovoid incross-section and, in males, projecting. The patternand extent of incisor and canine wear are consistentwith nipping of leaves. The molars are elongate andhigh crowned with voluminous conical cusps, high cusprelief, well-developed shearing crests, and restrictedocclusal basins(Harrison& Rook1997).The cheek teethexhibit a steep wear gradient (Harrison & Rook 1997).Cranial features including a relatively short face, ante-riorly positioned zygomatic root, deep and heavily but-tressedmandibular corpus, and tall, vertical mandibularramus are likewise consistent with a folivorous adapta-tion (Harrison & Rook 1997). Both shearing quotientsand microwear analyses place Oreopithecus among themosthighly folivorous anthropoids (Ungar1996; Ungar& Kay 1995). Paleoenvironmental reconstructions of

Oreopithecus localities suggest an insular environmentwith subtropical swampy forest conditions (Andrewset al . 1997). Oreopithecus has features consistent withorthograde body postures (Harrison & Rook 1997), andit has been suggested that it engaged in a novel form of bipedal locomotion (K ohler & Moy a-Sol a 1997; Rooket al . 1999). However, its post-cranial morphology ismore plausibly interpreted as adapted for quadrupe-dal clambering, vertical climbing and below-branch

suspensory behavior (Harrison & Rook 1997; Jungers1987; Rose 1997; Sarmiento 1995), all consistent withan arboreal, folivorous ecological niche.

Ouranopithecus is a monospecic genus knownalmost exclusively from craniodental remains. Body

mass estimates vary widely (de Bonis & Koufos 2001;Kelley 2001), but it is clearly among the largest of theEurasian hominoids. The anterior dental complex isconsistent with ingestion of foods requiring signicantpremasticatory preparation. The premaxilla is project-ing and the incisors are strongly procumbent (de Bonis& Koufos 1993). The maxillary central incisor is spatu-late, andmost specimensexhibit heavy wear with signif-icant loss of crown height and large labial dentine expo-sures (de Bonis & Koufos 1993; de Bonis & Melentis1978). The asymmetrical lateral incisors are smaller butequally heavily worn. Mandibular incisors are narrow(de Bonis & Melentis 1978), only slightly procum-bent, and show heavy wear characterized by continuousdentine exposures from the incisal edge onto the lin-gual surface (personal observation). Incisor microwearis characterized by high feature density and a relativelyhigh incidence of mesiodistally oriented striations, sug-gesting lateral stripping of vegetation (Ungar 1996). Incontrast with other late Miocene hominoids, maxillarycanines are stout rather than bilaterally compressed andexhibit heavy apical wear with signicant loss of crownheight, indicatingheavyparamasticatoryuse(deBonis&Melentis 1978). Ouranopithecus molars are large relativeto estimates of body mass (Kelley 2001), with hyper-thick dental enamel, inated cusps, and low occlusalrelief (de Bonis & Koufos 1993). As in other thicklyenameled forms, molar wear is heavy and characterizedby loss of crown relief and rapidly expanding dentineexposures. Shearing quotients are extremely low, sug-gesting a frugivorous diet with a signicant hard-objectcomponent (Ungar 1995), an inference supported bymicrowear feature density and pit percentages (Ungar1996). The mandible is characterized by deep corpora,

heavily buttressed symphyses, strongly dened musclemarkings, and condylar proportions consistent withforceful mastication (de Bonis & Koufos 1993, 1997,2001). Paleoenvironmental reconstructions of Macedo-nian hominoid localities indicate a dry, seasonaland pos-sibly open environment (Andrews et al . 1997; de Bonis& Koufos 2001). Incisor microwear patterns are con-sistent with near-ground or terrestrial feeding (Ungar1996), but the locomotor adaptations of Ouranopithecus




are currently unknown. Taken in total, the dental evi-dence suggests a diet incorporating highlyabrasive fooditems requiring signicant incisal preparation and pos-sibly including terrestrial resources (Ungar 1996).

Paleoecological interpretation of late Miocene

Asian hominoids has been inuenced both by their pur-ported hominid ( sensus usus) afnities (Simons 1976)and morphological similarities to the orangutan (Ward1997). Like those of the orangutan, Sivapithecus max-illary incisors are heteromorphic and strongly procum-bent.TheI 1 is largeandspatulate, with moderate lingualcingula and a distinct lingual pillar. The lateral incisoris both smaller and less symmetrical, and is set well pos-terior to I 1 (Pilbeam & Smith 1981). The mandibularincisors are homomorphic, parallel-sided teeth withmoderately developed basal tubercles. Incisor wearis heavy, producing signicant loss of crown height(Pilbeam & Smith 1981). The canines are robustand moderately high crowned and usually heavilyworn; mandibular canines exhibit apical facets, presum-ably from occlusion with the I 2 (Pilbeam 1982). Themolarsare high-crownedwith thick,coarsely crenulatedenamel, low occlusal relief, and peripheral cusp apices.In comparison with those of Pongo, Sivapithecus molarsshow relatively greater cusp relief and more restrictedbasins (Ward et al . 1991). Molar occlusal wear is heavy,with a strong buccolingual wear gradient and exten-sive dentine exposure (Pilbeam & Smith 1981). Whilethick enamel is generally associated with hard-objectfeeding, dental microwear analysis of several Siva- pithecus indicusspecimens shows pit percentage valuessimilar to those of Pan troglodtyes , a soft fruit eater(Teaford & Walker 1984). However, the observed pat-tern of molar wear indicates consumption of relativelyresistant food items, and the maxillary incisor morphol-ogy and heavy anterior dental attrition suggest con-sumption of food items requiring extensive premastica-tory preparation. Mandibular proportions, particularlycorpus depth, vary among species, but all Sivapithecus

mandibles are robust, with massive medial and lateralbuttresses and well-developed symphyseal tori, featuresalso indicative of powerful incision and forceful masti-cation (Brown 1997). Altogether, the dentognathic mor-phology of Sivapithecus points toward consumption of large fruits with tough skins and brous or otherwiseresistantesh.The locomotoradaptationof Sivapithecusis still debated (Moy a-Sol a & Kohler 1996), butmost analysis support arboreal quadrupedalism as the

dominant pattern of locomotion (Pilbeam et al . 1990;Richmond & Whalen 2001; Rose 1997). The paleoenvi-ronmentoftheSiwaliksregionhasbeenreconstructedasseasonally dry tropical deciduous forest (Andrews et al .1997; Retallack 1991), thus, it seems likely Sivapithecus

foraged arboreally. Differences in microwear and posi-tional behavior notwithstanding, Pongo – which con-sumes signicant quantities of large, hard-husked fruitsas well as relatively high proportions of unripe fruit –remains the most appropriate extant dietary analog forthis taxon (Ungar 1995).

In comparison with Sivapithecus and Pongo, theChinese pongine Lufengpithecus exhibits narrowerincisors, higher-crowned and slenderer canines, and rel-atively gracile mandibles with little buttressing (Brown1997; Kelley & Pilbeam 1986; Schwartz 1997; Wu & Xu1985). Paleoecological reconstructions suggest Lufeng- pithecus was an arborealist, perhaps with some suspen-sory capabilities, living in a moist, tropical forest envi-ronment (Andrews et al . 1997). It probably had anorangutan-like diet, primarily fruvigorous with a hard-object component. The basal pongine Ankarapithecusalsosharesmanydentognathic features with Sivapithecusand Pongo. However, enlargement of thepostcanineden-tition, heavy dental attrition, anda robust facial skeletonpoint togreater emphasison forcefulmastication ofhardor abrasive foods requiringextensive incisal preparation(Alpagut etal . 1996; Andrews & Alpagut 2001; Andrews& Tekkaya 1980; Begun & G ulec 1998). Ankarapithe-cus is associated with a high-diversity open woodlandfauna (Lunkka et al . 1999) but its locomotor patternsare unknown.

TRENDS IN HOMINOID DIETARYEVOLUTION

Table 16.2 summarizes inferred paleoecological anddietary patterns for the major large-bodied Miocenehominoid taxa. Reconstructing the ancestral great ape

dietary adaptation requires placing these patterns in anexplicit phylogenetic context, yet the recent literatureattests to the diversity of opinions concerning the phy-logenetic relationships and taxonomic status of extantapes and their fossil relatives (Begun 2000, 2001; Begunet al . 1997; de Bonis & Koufos 1997, 2001; Harrison &Rook 1997; Kelley 2001; K ohler et al . 2001; McCrossin& Benet 2000; Moy a-Sol a & Kohler 1996; Sherwoodet al . 2002; Ward et al . 1999). For present purposes,



T a b l e 1 6 . 2 . S u m m a r y o f e v i d e n c e f o r l a r g e - b o d i e d M

i o c e n e h o m i n o i d d i e t a n d f o r a g i n g

D i e t

A g e ( M a )

H a b i t a t

L o c o m o t i o n

E n a m e l t h i c k n e s s

M i c r o w e a r

S h e a r i n g q u o t i e n t f

D e n t a l m o r p h o l o g y

P r o c o n s u l

1 8 – 2 0

T r o p i c a l f o r e s t

A r b o r e a l q u a d r u p e d

T h i c k a t o a v e r a g e b

F r u g i v o r y

F r u g i v o r y

S o f t f r u i t

A f r o p i t h e c u s

1 7

W o o d l a n d ?


“ E x t r e m e l y t h i c k ” c

?

?

S c l e r o c a r p s p e c i a l i s t

E q u a t o r i u s

1 5

O p e n w o o d l a n d

S e m i - t e r r e s t r i a l

“ T h i c k ”

H a r d o b j e c t

H a r d o b j e c t

S c l e r o c a r p s p e c i a l i s t

N a c h o l a p i t h e c u s

1 5

W o o d l a n d ?

F o r e l i m b - d o m i n a t e d “ T h i c k ”

?

?

H a r d o b j e c t ?

G r i p h o p i t h e c u s

1 5 – 1 6

F o r e s t

?

T h i c k a

H a r d O b j e c t

?

H a r d o b j e c t

K e n y a p i t h e c u s

1 4

W o o d l a n d

?

“ T h i c k ”

?

?

H a r d o b j e c t

O r e o p i t h e c u s

8

S w a m p f o r e s t

V e r t i c a l c l i m b i n g

I n t e r m e d i a t e t h i c k b

F o l i v o r y

F o l i v o r y

F o l i v o r y

& s u s p e n s o r y

A n k a r a p i t h e c u s 1 0

S e a s o n a l f o r e s t

?

T h i c k d

?

?

H a r d f r u i t

L u f e n g p i t h e c u s

9 – 1 0

M o i s t f o r e s t

S u s p e n s o r y ?

“ T h i c k ” e

?

?

H a r d f r u i t

S i v a p i t h e c u s

7 – 1 2

S e a s o n a l f o r e s t


T h i c k a

F r u g i v o r y

?

H a r d f r u i t

O u r a n o p i t h e c u s

9

O p e n c o u n t r y

?

T h i c k / h y p e r - t h i c k a

H a r d o b j e c t

H a r d o b j e c t

H a r d o b j e c t

D r y o p i t h e c u s

1 0 – 1 2

S u b t r o p i c a l f o r e s t S u s p e n s o r y

T h i n a

F r u g i v o r y

F r u g i v o r y

S o f t f r u i t

N o t e s :

a A n d r e w s & M a r t i n ( 1 9 9 1 )

b B e y n o n e t a l . ( 1 9 9 8 )

c L e a k e y & W a l k e r ( 1 9 9 7 )

d A n d r e w s & A l p a g u t ( 2 0 0 1 )

e W u & X u ( 1 9 8 5 )

f K a y & U n g a r ( 1 9 9 7 )




Figure 16.2. Cladogram based on Begun et al . (1997, gure 2c).Equatorius , Nacholapithecus , and Griphopithecus are grouped toindicate morphological and probable phylogenetic afnities. The“Equatorius clade” is rooted to indicate its postcranial afnitieswith later hominoids; branching order within the clade is arbitrary

and does not signify specic cladistic relationships. The positionof Ankarapithecus follows Begun & G ulec (1998). Icons indicatemajor dietary categories; see Table 16.3 for explanation of othersymbols.

Begun et al .’s (1997) cladistic analysis was taken asthe starting point from which to develop a workinghypothesis of hominoid phylogenetic relationships (see

Figure 16.2 and Table 16.3). Mapping key morpholog-ical and ecological characters onto the resulting treemakes it possible to trace trends in hominoid dietaryevolution andinferthe ecologicaladaptationof thehypo-thetical great ape ancestor.

Hominoids of archaic aspect

The primitive ecological pattern for large-bodiedMiocene hominoids (Figure 16.2, Node1) is exemplied

by Proconsul , a frugivorous, above-branch arborealquadruped restricted to forested environments (Walker1997). While P. nyanzae appears to have consumed

harder food items (Beynon et al . 1998; Kay & Ungar1997),noproconsulidexhibitsatruehard-objectfeedingadaptation.A dietary shifttowardhard-object consump-tion is established in the late early Miocene (Node 2).Features linked to hard-object frugivory, includingenlarged incisors, thickly-enameled molars, and devel-opmentof an inferior transversetorus, arerst expressedin Afropithecus and persist for the remainder of theMiocene. Beginning in the middle Miocene, homi-noids move into a range of woodland and open country



T a b l e 1 6 . 3 . R e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f h o m i n o i d d i e t a r y e v o l u t i o n ( s e e F i g u r e 1 6 . 2 )

H y p o t h e t i c a l a n c e s t r a l c o n d i t i o n

M a j o r a d a p t a t i o n s

N o d e 1

A v e r a g e e n a m e l t h i c k n e s s

a

P i t h e c i i n - l i k e a n t e r i o r d e n t i t i o n

F r u g i v o r o u s d i e t

M a x i l l a r y i n c i s o r s e n l a r g e d & p r o c u m b e n t

A b o v e - b r a n c h a r b o r e a l q u a d r u p e d a l i s m

M a n d i b u l a r i n c i s o r s b i l a t e r a l l y c o m p r e s s e d & p r o c u m b e n t

F o r e s t e n v i r o n m e n t

C a n i n e s t u s k l i k e & s p l a y e d

N o d e 2

I n c r e a s e d e n a m e l t h i c k n e s s

b

S e m i - t e r r e s t r i a l a d a p t a t i o n

R e d u c e d m o l a r o c c l u s a l r e l i e f

c

H y l o b a t i d r a d i a t i o n

I n f e r i o r t r a n s v e r s e t o r u s d e v e l o p m e n t

S o f t f r u i t f r u g i v o r y

N o d e 3

D e r i v e d e l b o w m o r p h o l o g y

I n c i s o r r e d u c t i o n

I n c r e a s e d l o c o m o t o r d i v e r s i t y

M o l a r s t h i n e n a m e l e d & l o w c r o w n e d

F o r e s t w o o d l a n d h a b i t a t s

d

A u t a p o m o r p h i c f o l i v o r o u s a d a p t a t i o n

e

H a r d f r u i t f r u g i v o r y

N o d e 4

S y m

m e t r i c a l 1

f

H o m i n i n d e n t a l m o r p h o l o g y

I n c r e a s e d c a n i n e h e i g h t

A n t e r i o r d e n t a l r e d u c t i o n

N o d e 5

L C A o f e x t a n t a p e c l a d e

P o s t c a n i n e m e g a d o n t y

N o d e 6

E n l a r g e d , s p a t u l a t e l 1

H y p e r - t h i c k e n a m e l

E n l a r g e d i n f e r i o r t r a n s v e r s e t o r u s

N o d e 7

T h i n D e n t a l E n a m e l

R e d u c e d M a x i l l a r y I n c i s o r s

( a ) – ( f ) , s e e F i g u r e 1 6 . 2 .




habitats (Node 3), thus gaining access to dry forest andterrestrial food resources. This shift is accompanied bya marked increase in locomotor and ecological diversity(Sherwood et al . 2002), but all members of the Equa-torius clade retain dental features indicative of hard-

object feeding. Kenyapithecus sensu stricto also retainsthe characteristic thickly enameled molar morphology,even as its incisor and canine morphologies (Node 4)anticipate the crown great ape condition (Kelley et al .2002; Ward et al . 1999). Both Afropithecus and Equato-rius possess a derived anterior dental complex consistentwithpitheciin-likeingestive behaviors(Leakey& Walker1997; McCrossin & Benet 1997) interpreted here asfunctional convergences related to sclerocarp feeding.

Hominoids of modern aspect

Reconstructing the ancestral dietary pattern of theextant ape clade (Figure 16.2, Node 5) is problem-atic. The origins of the hylobatid radiation are obscure,and its position relative to middle Miocene stem homi-noids is disputed. Current opinion rejects an earlyMiocene catarrhine ancestry for gibbons and siamangs(Begun et al . 1997), and Figure 16.2 reconstructs hylo-batids as descended from a thickly enameled middleMiocene ancestor. Under this scenario, hylobatid fea-tures such as reduced incisor height and low-crowned,thin-enameled molars (Figure 16.2,Table 16.3c) arise assecondary functional adaptations to softer-consistency,small-object diets. The specialized dental morphol-ogy of Oreopithecus – reconstructed here as descendedfrom a thickly enameled ancestral form (Figure 16.2,Table 16.3d) – is uniquely derived and therefore imma-terial to the present argument.

Dietary inferences for the hypothetical commonancestor of thegreat apeclade are more straightforward.The ancestral great ape morphology (Node 5) is recon-structed here as characterized by enlarged, spatulate,and moderately procumbent central incisors, enlarged

premolars, low-crowned molars with thick, crenulatedenamel, and robust mandibles with deep symphyses andwell-developed inferior transverse tori. These featuresare present in the pongines and are largely retained byOuranopithecus. The pongines vary in habitat prefer-ence and locomotor pattern, but all are characterized bymorphological features associated with hard-object fru-givoryand,whereknown,arboreal foraging. Differencesin tooth proportions and dental microwear indicate

varying levels of hard-object consumption (Teaford &Walker 1984; Ward etal . 1991), but macrowear patterns,incisor form, and mandibular morphology are clearlyindicative of diets dominated by resistant food itemsrequiring incisal manipulation and powerful mastica-

tion (Andrews & Alpagut 2001). Only Ouranopithecusappears to have been a committed hard-object special-ist, as indicated by derived features such as postcaninemegadonty and incisor reduction. Dryopithecus and theAfrican apes (Node 7), subtropical forest dwellers withsuspensory capabilities, evolved adaptations to soft-object feeding, most notably decreased molar enamelthickness. This trend is subsequently reversed in thehominin lineage (Figure 16.2, Table 16.3f).

Ancestral great ape dietary adaptations

As reconstructed here, hominoid dietary evolution ischaracterized by increasingly efcient exploitation of open country andseasonal forest resources, culminatingin a primitive great ape functional complex adapted forthe consumption of sclerocarp fruits and hard objects.This picture of hominoid dietary evolution is largelycongruent with previous analyses (Andrews et al . 1997;Andrews & Martin 1991; Benet 2000) that acceptsoft fruit frugivory as the primitive hominoid dietaryadaptation, and link trends in middle Miocene den-tal evolution, particularly the increase in enamel thick-ness, to a shift toward more varied diets incorporatinghard fruits. Andrews & Martin (1991) also consideredthick molar enamel to be the primitive great ape con-dition, but suggested that its presence might be due tophylogenetic inertia or developmental factors and thusnot indicative of ancestral great ape dietary adapta-tions. However, the apparentlyindependent evolutionof thin-enameled molar morphologies in Hylobates and theDryopithecus –Africanape clade suggests that this trait isrelatively labile and is notmaintained under soft feedingregimes.

Microwear analysis has yet to conrm hard-objectfeeding in any late Miocene hominoid other thanOuranopithecus, and late Miocene Asian hominoids donot seem to have been hard-object specialists per se.Instead, they appear to resemble Pongo in their abilityto exploit hard fruits and their capacity for opportunis-tic hard-object consumption. By analogy with modernorangutans, basal great apes almost certainly consumed(and possibly preferred) soft fruits (Nowak1999; Ungar



312 M. SINGLETON

1995), but the ability to process hard objects, especiallynutrient-rich nuts and seeds, would have conferred asignicantselective advantagein theseasonal forest envi-ronments of late Miocene Eurasia. The last commonancestor of the great ape clade is thus inferred to have

consumed a frugivorous diet based on large, resistantfruits supplemented by a range of softer foods, withopportunistic, perhaps seasonal, hard-object consump-tion playing a signicant role in its dietary repertoire.

EXTRACTIVE FORAGING AND THEORIGINS OF GREAT APEINTELLIGENCE

The picture of hominoid dietary evolution presentedhere is consistent with the major assumptions of hypotheses emphasizing the exploitation of technicallychallenging food resources as a major selective forcefavoring the evolution of increased intelligence. Theshift from primitive, soft fruit diets to frugivoroushard-object feeding can be seen as initiating a pat-tern of reliance on “embedded” food resources thatpersists and is rened by selection for increased for-aging efciency and dietary exibility. Thus, the ear-liest hard-object feeders, Afropithecus and Equatorius ,exhibit specializations of the anterior dentition indica-tive of highly specic ingestive behaviors. This strategyresembles that of “anatomical extractors,” such as theaye-aye and pitheciin monkeys,whosemorphologies areadapted for intense exploitation of a narrow spectrum of key resources (Gibson 1986). By contrast, later middleMiocene hominoidsandbasal greatapes possess “multi-purpose” dentitions combining somewhat more gener-alized anterior teeth with powerfulmasticatory systems.These animals had access to a broad array of forest andopencountry resources, and all non-folivorous Eurasianhominoids show dietary adaptations at least consistentwithmore omnivorous feedingregimes.The mostrecent

common ancestor of the great ape clade is reconstructedas a frugivore with hard-object feeding capacities livingin a seasonal tropical forest environment, a niche likelyto encourage dietary ecumenicism and reward exploita-tion of embedded resources such as nuts and seed. Onthebasis of thepresent evidence, a role for extractive for-aging in the evolution of great ape intelligence is highlyplausible.

Because extractive foraging behaviors are presentin primates other than great apes, most notably Cebus

monkeys (Parker & Gibson 1977), technological andbehavioral innovations unique to hominoid foraging arekey to dietary explanations for great ape intelligence.Under Byrne’s (1997) technical intelligence hypothe-sis, primitive hominoid adaptations are expected to give

way to more varied diets secured by increasingly com-plex and technically sophisticated foraging behaviors(Byrne 1997). Selection for the ability to organize andplan such behaviors would then drive the evolution of increased cognitive capacity. The apparent transitionfrom “anatomical extraction” in the early and middleMiocene to omnivorous hard-object frugivoryin the latemiddle and late Miocene is consistent with a scenariowhereby behavioral exibility and technical innova-tion supplant anatomical specialization as the domi-nant hominoid foraging strategy. The cognitive capaci-ties enabling tool-assisted foraging and hierarchical foodprocessing behaviors in extant great apes might then beviewed as the product of primarily ecological factors(Byrne 1997; McGrew 1992; van Schaik & Knott 2001).

Consistency is not conrmation, and positive evi-dencein support ofhypotheses linkingforagingbehaviorto the origins of great ape intelligence is largely lacking.While early great apes possess features appropriate toexploit a broad range of technically challenging foods,the actual complexity of fossil hominoid feeding behav-iors is unknown and probably unknowable. The toolsused byorangutansand chimpanzees – andlikely tohavebeen employed by fossil great apes – leave little paleon-tological record (McGrew 1992; Mercader, Panger &Boesch 2002; van Schaik & Knott 2001). Recent reportsof true tool use in semifree-ranging Cebus (Ottoni &Mannu 2001), if accurate, cast further doubt on ourability to draw strong causal links between tool-assistedextractive foraging and the emergence of great ape cog-nitive capacities. This failure suggests thatdietary mod-els are, if not incompatible, then certainly incomplete,and the likelihood that a multifaceted capacity suchas intelligence may be attributed to any single factor

seems remote. While undoubtedly important, hominoiddietaryadaptationsandforagingstrategiesaremost pru-dently viewed as but one element in a nexus of social andecological factors leading to the evolution of great apeintelligence.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Dietary hypotheses for the origins of great ape intelli-gence link specic characteristics of extant hominoid




diet and foraging behavior to the evolution of greatape cognitive capacities. Seasonal reliance on embeddedfood resources, complex, hierarchical processing tech-niques, and tool-mediated resource extraction have allbeen seen as favoring the evolution of true imitation,

enhanced learning capabilities, and technical insight(Byrne 1997; Gibson 1986; Parker 1996). If the com-plex of cognitive capabilities shared by extant greatapes is assumed to be homologous, and thus presentin the most recent common ancestor of the great apeclade, the dietary patterns of this ancestor are key toevaluating the extractive foraging hypothesis and itsvariants. Hominoid dietary evolution is inferred to becharacterized by a shift from generalized frugivory toincreasingly efcient exploitation of open country anddry forest resources. The most recent common ances-tor of the great ape clade is reconstructed as an arborealhard-fruit frugivore with hard-object feeding capabil-ities living in a seasonal tropical forest environment.This pattern is broadly consistent with the predic-tions of extractive foraging theory, but does not providestrong support for its role in the emergence of great apecognition.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wishto thank D. R.Begun and A.E. Russonforinvitingme to contribute to this volume. Their editorial guid-ance, humor, andpatience over thecourse of this projecthave been much appreciated. Thanks also to the FieldMuseum of Natural History and W. Stanley, Divisionof Mammals, for access to specimens and to S. Inouyefor the use of photographic equipment. Finally, I thank J. M. Plavcan and J. P. Hunter for stimulating and fruit-ful (pun, regrettably, intended) conversations on thissubject and many others.

Alpagut, B., Andrews, P., Fortelius, M., Kappelman, J.,Temizsoy, I., Celebi, H. & Lindsay, W. (1996). A newspecimen of Ankarapithecus meteai from the Sinapformation of central Anatolia. Nature, 382, 349–51.

Alpagut, B., Andrews, P. & Martin, L. (1990). New hominoidspecimens from the Middle Miocene site at Pasalar,Turkey. Journal of Human Evolution , 19, 397–422.

Anapol, F. & Lee, S. (1994). Morphological adaptation to dietin platyrrhine primates. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 94, 239–61.

Andrews, P. (1978). A revision of the Miocene Hominoidea of East Africa. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology) , 30, 85–224.

(1981). Species diversity and diet in monkeys and apesduring the Miocene. In Aspects of Human Evolution ,

ed. C. B. Stringer, pp. 25–61. London: Taylor & Francis.(1992). Evolution and environment in the Hominoidea.

Nature , 360, 641–6.Andrews, P. & Alpagut, B. (2001). Functional morphology

of Ankarapithecus meteai . In Hominoid Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe. Vol. 2. Phylogeny of theNeogene Hominoid Primates of Eurasia , ed. L. de Bonis,G. D. Koufos & P. Andrews, pp. 454–87. New York:Cambridge University Press.

Andrews, P. & Bernor, R. L. (1999). Vicariance biogeographyand paleoecology of Eurasian Miocene hominoidprimates. In Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe.Vol. 1. The Evolution of Neogene Terrestrial Ecosystemsin Europe, ed. J. Agust ı, L. Rook & P. Andrews,pp. 454–87. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Andrews, P. & Martin, L. (1991). Hominoid dietaryevolution. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Societyof London B, 334, 199–209.

Andrews, P. & Tekkaya, I. (1976). Ramapithecus from Kenyaand Turkey. In Les Plus Anciens Hominid´ es, ed. P. V.Tobias & Y. Coppens, pp. 7–25. Nice: InternationalCongress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences.

(1980). A revision of the Turkish Miocene hominoidSivapithecus meteai . Paleontology , 23, 85–95.

Andrews, P., Begun, D. R. & Zylstra, M. (1997).Interrelationships between functional morphology andpaleoenvironments in Miocene hominoids. In Function,Phylogeny and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation , ed. D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose,pp. 29–58. New York: Plenum Press.

Andrews, P., Harrison, T., Delson, E., Bernor, R. L. &Martin, L. (1996). Distribution and biochronology of European and Southwest Asian Miocene catarrhines.In The Evolution of Western Eurasian Neogene Mammal

Faunas , ed. R. L. Bernor, V. Fahlbusch & H.-W.Mittmann, pp. 29–58. New York: Columbia UniversityPress.

Begun, D. R. (1993). New catarrhine phalanges fromRudab anya (Northeastern Hungary) and the problem of parallelism and convergence in hominoid postcranialmorphology. Journal of Human Evolution , 24,373–402.

(1994). Relations among the great apes and humans: newinterpretations based on the fossil great ape



314 M. SINGLETON

Dryopithecus . Yearbook of Physical Anthropology , 37,11–63.

(1999). Hominid family values: morphological andmolecular data on relations among the great apes andhumans. In The Mentalities of Gorillas and Orangutans:

Comparative Perspectives , ed. S. T. Parker, R. W.Mitchell & H. L. Miles, pp. 3–42. Cambridge, UK:Cambridge University Press.

(2000). Technical comments. Science, 287 , 2375a.(2001). African and Eurasian Miocene hominoids and the

origins of the Hominidae. In Hominoid Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe. Vol. 2. Phylogeny of theNeogene Hominoid Primates of Eurasia , ed. L. de Bonis,G. D. Koufos & P. Andrews, pp. 231–53. New York:Cambridge University Press.

Begun, D. R. & G ulec, E. (1998). Restoration of the type andpalate of Ankarapithecus meteai : taxonomic andphylogenetic implications. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 105, 279–314.

Begun, D. R., Ward, C. V. & Rose, M. D. (1997). Events inhominoid evolution. In Function, Phylogeny and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation , ed. D. R.Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose, pp. 389–415. NewYork: Plenum Press.

Behrensmeyer, A. K., Deino, A. L., Hill, A., Kingston, J. D.& Saunders, J. J. (2002). Geology and geochronology of the middle Miocene Kipsaramon site complex,Muruyur Beds, Tugen Hills, Kenya. Journal of HumanEvolution , 42, 11–38.

Benet, B. R. (2000). Old World monkey origins anddiversication: an evolutionary study of diet anddentition. In Old World Monkeys , ed. P. F. Whitehead &C. J. Jolly, pp. 133–79. New York: CambridgeUniversity Press.

Beynon, A. D., Dean, M. C., Leakey, M. G., Reid, D. J. &Walker, A. (1998). Comparative dental development andmicrostructure of Proconsul teeth from Rusinga Island,Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution , 24, 163–209.

Brown, B. (1997). Miocene hominoid mandibles – functional

and phylogenetic perspectives. In Function, Phylogenyand Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation ,ed. D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose, pp. 153–71.New York: Plenum.

Butler, P. M. (2000). The evolution of tooth shape and toothfunction in primates. In Development, Function and Evolution of Teeth , ed. M. F. Teaford, M. M. Smith &M. W. J. Ferguson, pp. 201–11. New York: CambridgeUniversity Press.

Byrne, R. W. (1996). The misunderstood ape: cognitive skillsof the gorilla. In Reaching into Thought: The Minds of theGreat Apes , ed. A. E. Russon, K. A. Bard & S. T. Parker,pp. 111–30. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UniversityPress.

(1997). The technical intelligence hypothesis: an additionalevolutionary stimulus to intelligence. In MachiavellianIntelligence II: Extensions and Evaluations , ed. A. Whiten& R. W. Byrne, pp. 289–311. Cambridge, UK:Cambridge University Press.

Byrne, R. W. & Byrne, J. M. E. (1993). Complexleaf-gathering skills of mountain gorillas ( Gorilla g.beringei ): variability and standardization. American Journal of Primatology , 31, 241–61.

Cerling, T. E., Harris, J. M., Ambrose, S. H., Leakey, M. G.& Solounias, N. (1997). Dietary and environmentalreconstruction with stable isotope analyses of herbivoretooth enamel from the Miocene locality of Fort Ternan,Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution , 33, 635–50.

Clutton-Brock, T. H. & Harvey, P. H. (1980). Primates,brains and ecology. Journal of Zoology , London, 190,309–23.

de Bonis, L. & Koufos, G. D. (1993). The face and themandible of Ouranopithecus macedoniensis: description of new specimens and comparisons. Journal of HumanEvolution , 24, 469–91.

(1997). The phylogenetic and functional implications of Ouranopithecus macedoniensis. In Function, Phylogeny and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation , ed.D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose, pp. 317–26.New York: Plenum.

(2001). Phylogenetic relationships of Ouranopithecusmacedoniensis(Mammalia, Primates, Hominoidea,Hominidae) of the late Miocene deposits of CentralMacedonia (Greece). In Hominoid Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe. Vol. 2. Phylogeny of theNeogene Hominoid Primates of Eurasia , ed. L. de Bonis,G. D. Koufos & P. Andrews, pp. 254–68. New York:Cambridge University Press.

de Bonis, L. & Melentis, J. (1978). Les primates homino ıdesdu Mioc ene superi eur de Mac edoine. AnnalesPal´ eontogie (Vert´ ebr´ es), 64, 185–202.

Dumont, E. R. (1995). Enamel thickness and dietaryadaptation among extant primates and chiropterans. Journal of Mammalogy , 76, 1127–36.

Dunbar, R. I. M. (1992). Neocortex size as a constraint ongroup size in primates. Journal of Human Evolution , 20,469–93.




Eaglen, R. H. (1984). Incisor size and diet revisited: the viewfrom a platyrrhine perspective. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 69, 262–75.

Fleagle, J. G. & Kay, R. F. (1985). The paleobiology of catarrhines. In Ancestors: The Hard Evidence , ed. E.

Delson, pp. 23–36. New York: Alan R. Liss.Gabunia, L., Gabashvili, E., Vekua, A. & Lordkipanidze, D.

(2001). The late Miocene hominoid from Georgia. InHominoid Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe.Vol. 2. Phylogeny of the Neogene Hominoid Primates of Eurasia , ed. L. de Bonis, G. D. Koufos & P. Andrews,pp. 316–25. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Geraads, D., Begun, D. R. & G ulec, E. (2003). The middleMiocene hominoid site of Candır, Turkey: generalpaleoecological conclusions from the mammalianfauna. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenburg , 240 ,251–265.

Gibson, K. R. (1986). Cognition, brain size and theextraction of embedded food resources. In PrimateOntogeny, Cognition and Social Behaviour , ed. J. G. Else& P. C. Lee, pp. 93–103. New York: CambridgeUniversity Press.

Gordon, K. D. (1982). A study of microwear on chimpanzeemolars: implications of dental microwear analysis. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 59, 195–215.

(1984). Hominoid dental microwear: complications in theuse of microwear analysis to detect diet. Journal of Dental Research , 63, 1043–6.

Gould, S. J. & Lewontin, R. C. (1984). The spandrels of SanMarco and the Panglossian paradigm: a critique of theadaptationist programme. In Conceptual Issues inEvolutionary Biology: An Anthology , ed. E. Sober,pp. 252–70. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Grine, F. E. (1986). Dental evidence for dietary differences in Australopithecus and Paranthropus . Journal of HumanEvolution , 15, 783–822.

G ulec E., & Begun, D. R. (2003). Functional morphologyand afnities of the hominoid mandible from Candır .Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenburg , 240, 89–112.

Harrison, T. (1988). A taxonomic revision of the smallcatarrhine primates from the early Miocene of EastAfrica. Folia Primatologica , 50, 59–108.

Harrison, T. & Rook, L. (1997). Enigmatic anthropoid ormisunderstood ape? The phylogenetic status of Oreopithecus bambolii reconsidered. In Function,Phylogeny, and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptations , ed. D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose,pp. 327–62. New York: Plenum Press.

Heizmann, E. & Begun, D. R. (2001). The oldest Europeanhominoid. Journal of Human Evolution , 41, 465–81.

H urzeler, J. (1958). Oreopithecus bambolii Gervais: apreliminary report. Verhandlungen NaturforschungsGesellschaft Basel , 69, 1–48.

Hylander, W. L. (1975). Incisor size and diet in anthropoidswith special reference to the Cercopithecoidea. Science,189 , 1095–8.

Ishida, H., Kunimatsu, Y., Nakatsukasa, M. & Nakano, Y.(1999). New hominoid genus from the Middle Mioceneof Nachola, Kenya. Anthropological Sciences, 107 , 189–91.

Ishida, H., Pickford, M., Nakaya, H. & Nakano, Y. (1984).Fossil anthropoids from Nachola and Samburu Hills,Samburu District, Kenya. African Studies Monographs ,Supplement 2, 73–85.

Jolly, A. (1988). The evolution of purpose. In MachiavellianIntelligence: Social Expertise and the Evolution of Intellect in Monkeys, Apes and Humans , ed. R. W. Byrne & A.Whiten, pp. 363–78. New York: Oxford UniversityPress.

Jungers, W. L. (1987). Body size and morphometric afnitiesof the appendicular skeleton in Oreopithecus bambolii (IGF 11778). Journal of Human Evolution , 16, 445–56.

Kay, R. F. (1975). The functional adaptations of primatemolar teeth. American Journal of Physical Anthropology ,43, 195–216.

(1977a). Diets of early Miocene African hominoids.Nature , 268, 628–30.

(1977b). The evolution of molar occlusion in thecercopithecidae and early catarrhines. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 46, 327–52.

(1978). Molar structure and diet in extant Cercopithecidae.In Development, Function and Evolution of Teeth , ed.P. M. Butler & K. A. Joysey, pp. 319–39. New York:Academic Press.

(1981). The nut-crackers – a new theory of the adaptationsof the Ramapithecinae. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 55, 141–51.

(1984). On the uses of anatomical features to infer foraging

behavior in extinct primates. In Adaptations for Foragingin Nonhuman Primates – Contributions to an Organismal Biology of Prosimians, Monkeys and Apes, ed. P. S.Rodman & J. G. H. Cant, pp. 21–53. New York:Columbia University Press.

Kay, R. F. & Covert, H. H. (1984). Anatomy and behaviourof extinct primates. In Food Acquisition and Processingin Primates , ed. D. J. Chivers, B. A. Wood & A.Bilsborough, pp. 467–508. New York: Plenum Press.



316 M. SINGLETON

Kay, R. F. & Hiiemae, K. M. (1974). Jaw movements andtooth use in recent and fossil primates. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 40, 227–56.

Kay, R. F. & Ungar, P. S. (1997). Dental evidence for diet insome Miocene catarrhines with comments on the effects

of phylogeny on the interpretation of adaptation. InFunction, Phylogeny and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation , ed. D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward &M. D. Rose, pp. 131–51. New York: Plenum Press.

Kelley, J. (1990). Incisor microwear and diet in three speciesof Colobus. Folia Primatologica , 55, 73–84.

(2001). Phylogeny and sexually dimorphic characters:canine reduction in Ouranopithecus . In Hominoid Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe. Vol. 2.Phylogeny of the Neogene Hominoid Primates of Eurasia ,ed. L. de Bonis, G. D. Koufos & P. Andrews,pp. 269–83. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Kelley, J. & Pilbeam, D. R. (1986). The Dryopithecines:taxonomy, comparative anatomy, and phylogeny of Miocene large hominoids. In Comparative PrimateBiology. Vol. 1. Systematics, Evolution, and Anatomy , ed.D. R. Swindler & J. Erwin, pp. 362–409. New York:A. R. Liss.

Kelley, J., Ward, S., Brown, B., Hill, A. & Duren, D. L.(2002). Dental remains of Equatorius africanus fromKipsaramon, Tugen Hills, Baringo District, Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution , 42, 39–62.

Kilgore, L. (1989). Dental pathologies in ten free-rangingchimpanzees from Gombe National Park, Tanzania. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 80, 219–27.

King, T. (2001). Dental microwear and diet in MioceneEurasian catarrhines. In Hominoid Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe. Vol. 2. Phylogeny of theNeogene Hominoid Primates of Eurasia , ed. L. de Bonis,G. D. Koufos & P. Andrews, pp. 102–17. New York:Cambridge University Press.

King, T., Aiello, L. C. & Andrews, P. (1998). Dentalmicrowear of Griphopithecus alpani . Journal of HumanEvolution , 36, 3–31.

Kinzey, W. G. (1992). Dietary and dental adaptations in thePitheciinae. American Journal of Physical Anthropology ,88, 499–514.

Kinzey, W. G. & Norconk, M. A. (1990). Hardness as a basisof fruit choice in two sympatric primates. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 81, 5–15.

Kohler, M. & Moy a-Sol a, S. (1997). Ape-like orhominid-like? The positional behavior of Oreopithecusbambolii reconsidered. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 94, 11 747–50.

Kohler, M., Moy a-Sol a, S. & Alba, D. M. (2001). Eurasianhominoid evolution in the light of recent Dryopithecusndings. In Hominoid Evolution and Climatic Change inEurope. Vol. 2. Phylogeny of the Neogene Hominoid Primates of Eurasia , ed. L. de Bonis, G. D. Koufos &

P. Andrews, pp. 192–212. New York: CambridgeUniversity Press.

Kunimatsu, Y., Nakatsukasa, M., Yamanaka, A., Shimizu, D.& Ishida, H. (1998). The newly discoveredmaxillomandibular specimen of Kenyapithecus from thesite BG-K in Nachola. Anthropological Sciences, 106,137–8.

Leakey, M. G. & Walker, A. (1997). Afropithecus – functionand phylogeny. In Function, Phylogeny and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation , ed. D. R.Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose, pp. 225–39. NewYork: Plenum.

Leakey, R. E. & Leakey, M. G. (1986). A new Miocenehominoid from Kenya. Nature , 324 , 143–8.

Leakey, R. E., Leakey, M. G. & Walker, A. (1988).Morphology of Afropithecus turkanensis from Kenya. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 76, 289–307.

Lucas, P. W. & Luke, D. A. (1984). Chewing it over: basicprinciples of food breakdown. In Food Acquisition and Processing in Primates , ed. D. J. Chivers, B. A. Wood &A. Bilsborough, pp. 283–301. New York: Plenum Press.

Lucas, P. W., Corlett, R. T. & Luke, D. A. (1986). Postcaninetooth size and diet in anthropoid primates. Zeitschrift f¨ ur Morphologie und Anthropologie, 76, 253–76.

Lunkka, J. P., Fortelius, M., Kappelman, J. & Sen, S. (1999).Chronology and mammal faunas of the Miocene SinapFormation, Turkey. In Hominoid Evolution and ClimaticChange in Europe. Vol. 1. The Evolution of NeogeneTerrestrial Ecosystems in Europe , ed. J. Agust ı, L. Rook &P. Andrews, pp. 238–64. New York: CambridgeUniversity Press.

Macho, G. A. & Spears, I. R. (1999). Effects of loading on thebiochemical behavior of molars of Homo, Pan , andPongo. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 109,

211–27.Martin, L. (1981). New specimens of Proconsul from Koru,

Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution , 10, 139–50.(1985). Signicance of enamel thickness in hominoid

evolution. Nature , 314, 260–3.Martin, R. D. (1990). Primate Origins and Evolution: A

Phylogenetic Reconstruction. Princeton, NJ: PrincetonUniversity Press.

McCrossin, M. L. (1997). New postcranial remains of Kenyapithecus and their implications for understanding




the origins of hominoid terrestriality. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , Supplement 24, 164.

McCrossin, M. L. & Benet, B. R. (1997). On therelationships and adaptations of Kenyapithecus , alarge-bodied hominoid from the middle Miocene

of eastern Africa. In Function, Phylogeny, and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptations , ed.D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose, pp. 241–67.New York: Plenum.

(2000). Technical comments. Science, 287, 2375a.McCrossin, M. L., Benet, B. R., Gitau, S. N., Palmer, A. K.

& Blue, K. T. (1998). Fossil evidence for the origins of terrestriality among Old World higher primates. InPrimate Locomotion: Recent Advances , ed. E. Strasser, J. G. Fleagle, A. Rosenberger & H. McHenry,pp. 253–396. New York: Plenum.

McGrew, W. C. (1992). Chimpanzee Material Culture:Implications for Human Evolution . Cambridge, UK:Cambridge University Press.

Mercader, J., Panger, M. & Boesch, C. (2002).Chimpanzee-produced stone assemblages from thetropical forests of Ta ı, C ote d’Ivoire. Journal of HumanEvolution , 42, A23–4.

Milton, K. (1981). Distribution patterns of tropical plantfoods as an evolutionary stimulus to primate mentaldevelopment. American Anthropologist , 83, 534–48.

(1988). Foraging behaviour and the evolution of primateintelligence. In Machiavellian Intelligence: Social Expertise and the Evolution of Intellect in Monkeys, Apesand Humans , ed. R. W. Byrne & A. Whitten,pp. 283–305. New York: Oxford University Press.

Morbeck, M. E. (1983). Miocene hominoid discoveries fromRudab anya – implications from the postcranial skeleton.In New Interpretations of the Ape and Human Ancestry ,ed. R. L. Ciochon & R. S. Corruccini, pp. 369–404.New York: Plenum.

Moy a-Sol a, S. & Kohler, M. (1996). A Dryopithecus skeletonand the origins of great-ape locomotion. Nature , 376,156–9.

Nakatsukasa, M., Yamanaka, A., Shimizu, D., Ishida, H. &Kunimatsu, Y. (1998). A new discovery of postcranialskeleton of Kenyapithecus from BG-K fossil site. Anthropological Sciences, 106, 138.

Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker’s Primates of the World .Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Ottoni, E. B. & Mannu, M. (2001). Semifree-ranging tuftedcapuchins ( Cebus apella) spontaneously use tools tocrack open nuts. International Journal of Primatology ,22, 347–58.

Palmer, A. K., Benet, B. R., McCrossin, M. L. & Gitau,S. N. (1998). Paleoecological implications of dentalmicrowear analysis for the middle Miocene primatefauna from Maboko Island, Kenya. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , Supplement 26, 175.

Parker, S. T. (1996). Apprenticeship in tool-mediatedextractive foraging: the origins of imitation, teaching,and self-awareness in great apes. In Reaching IntoThought: The Minds of the Great Apes , ed. A. E. Russon,K. A. Bard & S. T. Parker, pp. 348–70. Cambridge, UK:Cambridge University Press.

Parker, S. T. & Gibson, K. R. (1977). Object manipulation,tool use and sensorimotor intelligence as feedingadaptations in Cebus monkeys and great apes. Journal of Human Evolution , 6, 623–41.

Parker, S. T. & Mitchell, R. W. (1999). The mentalities of gorillas and orangutans in phylogenetic perspective. InThe Mentalities of Gorillas and Orangutans: ComparativePerspectives, ed. S. T. Parker, R. W. Mitchell & H. L.Miles, pp. 397–411. Cambridge, UK: CambridgeUniversity Press.

Pilbeam, D. (1982). New hominoid skull material from theMiocene of Pakistan. Nature , 295, 232–4.

Pilbeam, D. & Smith, R. J. (1981). New skull remains of Sivapithecus from Pakistan. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Pakistan , 2, 1–13.

Pilbeam, D., Rose, M. D., Barry, J. C. & Ibrahim Shah, S. M.(1990). New Sivapithecus humeri from Pakistan and therelationship of Sivapithecus and Pongo. Nature , 348 ,237–9.

Quade, J., Cerling, T. C., Andrews, P. & Alpagut, B. (1995).Paleodietary reconstruction of Miocene faunas fromPasalar, Turkey using stable carbon and oxygen isotopesof fossil tooth enamel. Journal of Human Evolution , 28,373–84.

Retallack, G. J. (1991). Miocene Paleosols and Ape Habitatsof Pakistan and Kenya . New York: Oxford UniversityPress.

Richmond, B. G. & Whalen, M. (2001). Forelimb function,

bone curvature and phylogeny of Sivapithecus . InHominoid Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe.Vol. 2. Phylogeny of the Neogene Hominoid Primates of Eurasia , ed. L. de Bonis, G. D. Koufos & P. Andrews,pp. 269–83. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Rook, L., Bondioli, L., K ohler, M., Moy a-Sol a, S. &Macchiarelli, R. (1999). Oreopithecus was a bipedal apeafter all: evidence from the iliac cancellous architecture.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA , 96,8795–9.



318 M. SINGLETON

Rose, J. C. & Ungar, P. S. (1998). Gross dental wear anddental microwear in historical perspective. In Dental Anthropology: Fundamentals, Limits, and Prospects , ed.K. W. Alt, F. W. R osing & M. Teschler-Nicola,pp. 349–84. New York: Springer.

Rose, M. D. (1994). Quadrupedalism in some Miocenecatarrhines. Journal of Human Evolution , 26, 387–411.

(1997). Functional and phylogenetic features of theforelimb in Miocene hominoids. In Function, Phylogenyand Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation ,ed. D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose, pp. 79–100.New York: Plenum.

Rose, M. D., Nakano, Y. & Ishida, H. (1996). Kenyapithecuspostcranial specimens from Nachola, Kenya. AfricanStudies Monographs , Supplement 24, 3–56.

Rosenberger, A. W. & Kinzey, W. G. (1976). Functionalpatterns of molar occlusion in platyrrhine primates. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 45, 281–98.

Russon, A. E. & Bard, K. A. (1996). Exploring the minds of the great apes: issues and controversies. In Reaching intoThought: The Minds of the Great Apes , ed. S. T. Parker,pp. 1–22. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UniversityPress.

Ryan, A. S. (1981). Anterior dental microwear and itsrelationship to diet and feeding behavior in three Africanprimates ( Pan troglodytes troglodytes , Gorilla gorilla gorilla , and Papio Hamadryas ). Primates , 22, 533–50.

Sarmiento, E. (1995). Cautious climbing and folivory: amodel of hominoid differentiation. Journal of HumanEvolution , 10, 289–321.

Sawaguchi, T. (1989). Relationships between cerebral indicesfor “extra” cortical parts and ecological cateories inanthropoids. Brain, Behavior and Ecology , 34, 131–45.

(1992). The size of the neocortex in relation to ecology andsocial structure in monkeys and apes. FoliaPrimatologica , 5, 131–45.

Schwartz, J. H. (1997). Lufengpithecus and hominoidphylogeny – problems in delineating and evaluatingphylogenetically revelant characters. In Function,

Phylogeny and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation , ed. D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose,pp. 363–88. New York: Plenum.

Shellis, R. P., Beynon, A. D., Reid, D. J. & Hiiemae, K. M.(1998). Variations in molar enamel thickness amongprimates. Journal of Human Evolution , 35, 507–22.

Sherwood, R. J., Ward, S., Duren, D. L., Brown, B. &Downs, W. (2002). Preliminary description of theEquatorius africanus partial skeleton (KNM-TH 28860)

from Kipsaramon, Tugen Hills, Baringo District,Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution , 42, 63–73.

Simons, E. L. (1976). Ramapithecus . Scientic American , 236 ,28–35.

Singleton, M. (2000). The phylogenetic afnities of

Otavipithecus namibiensis. Journal of Human Evolution ,38, 537–73.

(2001). Molar are in Miocene hominoids – function orphylogeny? American Journal of Physical Anthropology ,Supplement 32, 137.

Teaford, M. F. (1985). Molar microwear and diet in the genusCebus. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 66,363–70.

(1994). Dental microwear and dental function.Evolutionary Anthropology , 3, 17–30.

(2000). Primate dental functional morphology revistited.In Development, Function and Evolution of Teeth , ed.M. F. Teaford, M. M. Smith & M. W. J. Ferguson,pp. 290–304. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Teaford, M. F. & Oyen, O. J. (1989). In vivo and in vitroturnover in dental microwear. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 66, 363–70.

Teaford, M. F. & Runestad, J. A. (1992). Dental microwearand diet in Venezuelan primates. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 88, 347–64.

Teaford, M. F. & Walker, A. C. (1984). Quantitativedifferences in dental microwear between primate specieswith different diets and a comment on the presumeddiet of Sivapithecus . American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 64, 191–200.

Temerin, L. A. & Cant, J. G. H. (1983). The evolutionarydivergence of Old World monkeys and apes. AmericanNaturalist , 122 , 335–51.

Tsujikawa, H. & Nakaya, H. (1998). Faunal analysis of palaeoenvironment of Kenyapithecus . Anthropological Sciences, 106, 139.

Ungar, P. S. (1990). Incisor microwear and feeding behaviorin Aloutta seniculus and Cebus olivaceus. American Journal of Primatology , 20, 43–50.

(1995). Fruit preferences of four sympatric primate speciesat Ketambe, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia.International Journal of Primatology , 16, 221–45.

(1996). Dental microwear of European Miocenecatarrhines: evidence for diets and tooth use. Journal of Human Evolution , 31, 335–66.

(1998). Dental allometry, morphology, and wear asevidence for diet in fossil primates. Evolutionary Anthropology , 6, 205–17.




Ungar, P. S. & Kay, R. F. (1995). The dietaryadaptations of European Miocene catarrhines.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA , 92,5479–81.

Ungar, P. S. & Teaford, M. F. (1996). Preliminary

examination of non-occlusal dental microwear inanthropoids: implications for the study of fossilprimates. American Journal of Physical Anthropology ,100 , 101–13.

Ungar, P. S. & Williamson, M. (2000). Exploring the effectsof tooth wear on functional morphology: a preliminarystudy using dental topographic analysis. PaleontologicaElectronica , 3, Article 1, 18 pp.

van Schaik, C. P. & Knott, C. D. (2001). Geographicvariation in tool use on Neesia fruits in orangutans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 114 ,331–42.

Walker, A. C. (1997). Proconsul – function and phylogeny. InFunction, Phylogeny and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and Adaptation , ed. D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward &M. D. Rose, pp. 209–24. New York: Plenum.

Walker, A. C., Teaford, M. F. & Ungar, P. S. (1994).Enamel microwear differences between species of Proconsul from the early Miocene of Kenya. American

Journal of Physical Anthropology , Supplement 18,202–3.

Ward, S. (1997). The taxonomy and phylogeneticrelationships of Sivapithecus revisited. In Function,Phylogeny and Fossils: Miocene Hominoid Evolution and

Adaptation , ed. D. R. Begun, C. V. Ward & M. D. Rose,pp. 269–90. New York: Plenum.

Ward, S., Beecher, R. & Kelley, J. (1991). Post-canineocclusal anatomy of Sivapithecus , Lufengpithecus, andPongo. American Journal of Physical Anthropology ,Supplement 12, 181.

Ward, S., Brown, B., Hill, A., Kelley, J. & Downs, W. (1999).Equatorius : a new hominoid genus from the middleMiocene of Kenya. Science, 285, 1382–6.

Wu, R. & Xu, Q. (1985). Ramapithecus and Sivapithecusfrom Lufeng, China. In Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic Archaeology in the People’s Republic of China ,ed. R. Wu & J. Olson, pp. 53–68. New York: AcademicPress.

Wynn, J. G. & Retallack, G. J. (2001). Paleoenvironmentalreconstruction of middle Miocene paleosols bearingKenyapithecus and Victoriapithecus , Nyakach Formation,southwestern Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution , 40,263–88.

Singleton - Fossil Hominoid Diets

Documents

Transcript of Singleton - Fossil Hominoid Diets