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Fossil cercopithecidae from the Middle Pleistocene Dawaitoli formation, Middle Awash valley, Afar region, Ethiopia
Author(s) -
Frost Stephen R.
Publication year - 2007
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.20688
Subject(s) - cercopithecidae , pleistocene , geology , paleontology , geography , biology , zoology
A series of fossil cercopithecoids has been recovered from the Dawaitoli Formaiton, in the Middle Awash study area, Ethiopia. The Dawaitoli Fm. has been dated to ∼600 Ka. This series includes several partial crania of Theropithecus oswaldi leakeyi as well as other cranial and postcranial fragments. This material is some of the most complete to date and adds considerably to what is known of this widespread and abundant taxon. There are also two isolated papionin molars here allocated to Papio cf. hamadryas based largely on size grounds and similarity to contemporary material from other sites in the Afar Depression. Cercopithecoids are rare in the Dawaitoli Fm., and among them only large papionins are known. This is unique among known Pleistocene sites in the Afar region, but is most similar to the Daka Member of the Bouri Formation. It is quite different from the other known Middle Pleistocene sites in the Afar: Asbole and the geologically younger Andalee where cercopithecoids are abundant and colobines predominate. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.