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Problems in the interpretation of Ramapithecus : With special reference to anterior tooth reduction
Author(s) -
Conroy Glenn C.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330370106
Subject(s) - cheek teeth , gorilla , pan paniscus , biology , zoology , anatomy , paleontology
The dental proportions of Ramapithecus specimen FT 1271‐2 (from Fort Ternan, Kenya) have been compared with undoubted fossil pongids from the Miocene of East Africa. Compared to its Miocene pongid contemporaries, Ramapithecus exhibits distinct anterior tooth reduction both in its incisor and canine dimensions. This distinction is most clearly seen in comparisons of Ramapithecus with pongids of similar cheek tooth size, i.e., Dryopithecus africanus and Pan paniscus. The differences in dental proportions between the phylogenetic lines of D. africanus to Pan and Ramapithecus to Homo are discussed in terms of various dietary hypotheses. The similarities in dental proportions of Gorilla and Ramapithecus illustrate their non‐frugivorous dietary preferences, but have little or no value as far as the taxonomic assessment of Ramapithecus is concerned.