Partial skeleton of Theropithecus brumpti (Primates, Cercopithecidae) from the Chemeron Formation of the Tugen Hills, Kenya.

Here we describe a complete skull and partial skeleton of a large cercopithecoid monkey (KNM-TH 46700) discovered in the Chemeron Formation of the Tugen Hills at BPRP Site #152 (2.63 Ma). Associated with the skeleton was a mandible of an infant cercopithecoid (KNM-TH 48364), also described here. KNM-TH 46700 represents an aged adult female of Theropithecus brumpti, a successful Pliocene papionin taxon better known from the Omo Shungura Formation in Ethiopia and sites east and west of Lake Turkana, Kenya. While the morphology of male T. brumpti is well-documented, including a partial skeleton with both cranial and postcranial material, the female T. brumpti morphotype is not well-known. This skeleton represents some of the first associated evidence of cranial and postcranial female T. brumpti remains. In addition to the complete skull, postcranial material includes elements of the axial skeleton and lower limb. While aspects of the skeleton conform to those of specimens previously assigned to T. brumpti, other features on the femur and tibia appear to differ from those previously described for this species. It is unclear whether these differences represent general variation within the T. brumpti population, variation between the sexes in T. brumpti, or the incorrect assignment of previous isolated hindlimb specimens. In total, the observable morphological features of the hindlimb suggest that KNM-TH 46700 was a terrestrial quadruped similar to modern savannah baboons (Papio). From the available evidence, it is difficult to assess whether or not KNM-TH 46700 frequently engaged in the specialized squatting and shuffling behavior observed in extant geladas (Theropithecus gelada).

Miocene cercopithecoidea from the Tugen Hills, Kenya.

Miocene to Pleistocene fossiliferous sediments in the Tugen Hills span the time period from at least 15.5 Ma to 0.25 Ma, including time periods unknown or little known elsewhere in Africa. Consequently, the Tugen Hills deposits hold the potential to inform us about crucial phylogenetic events in African faunal evolution and about long-term environmental change. Among the specimens collected from this region are a number of discoveries already important to the understanding of primate evolution. Here, we describe additional cercopithecoid material from the Miocene deposits in the Tugen Hills sequence, including those from securely dated sites in the Muruyur Beds (16-13.4 Ma), the Mpesida Beds (7-6.2 Ma) and the Lukeino Formation (∼ 6.2-5.7 Ma). We also evaluate previously described material from the Ngorora Formation (13-8.8 Ma). Identified taxa include Victoriapithecidae gen. et sp. indet., cf. Parapapio lothagamensis, and at least two colobines. Specimens attributed to cf. Pp. lothagamensis would extend the species' geographic range beyond its type locality. In addition, we describe specimens sharing derived characters with modern African colobines (Tribe: Colobina), a finding that is congruent with previous molecular estimates of colobine divergence dates. These colobine specimens represent some of the earliest known members of the modern African colobine radiation and, in contrast to previous hypotheses, suggest that early African colobines were mainly arboreal and that semi-terrestrial Late Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene colobine taxa were secondarily derived in their locomotor adaptations.