A new Middle Miocene tarsier from Thailand and the reconstruction of its orbital morphology using a geometric–morphometric method
- Chaimanee, Yaowalak IPHEP: Institut International de Paléoprimatologie et Paléontologie Humaine, Éolution et Paleoenvironments, CNRS UMR 6046-Université de Poitiers, 40 Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86022 Poitiers, France
- Lebrun, Renaud Anthropological Institute, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Yamee, Chotima Palaeontology Section, Department of Mineral Resources, Rama VI Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Jaeger, Jean-Jacques IPHEP: Institut International de Paléoprimatologie et Paléontologie Humaine, Éolution et Paleoenvironments, CNRS UMR 6046-Université de Poitiers, 40 Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86022 Poitiers, France
- 2010-12
Published in:
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. - The Royal Society. - 2010, vol. 278, no. 1714, p. 1956-1963
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Immunology and Microbiology
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
General Environmental Science
General Medicine
English
Tarsius
is an extant genus of primates endemic to the islands of Southeast Asia that is characterized by enormously enlarged orbits reflecting its nocturnal activity pattern. Tarsiers play a pivotal role in reconstructing primate phylogeny, because they appear to comprise, along with Anthropoidea, one of only two extant haplorhine clades. Their fossils are extremely rare. Here, we describe a new species of
Tarsius
from the Middle Miocene of Thailand. We reconstructed aspects of its orbital morphology using a geometric–morphometric method. The result shows that the new species of
Tarsius
had a very large orbit (falling within the range of variation of modern
Tarsius
) with a high degree of frontation and a low degree of convergence. Its relatively divergent lower premolar roots suggest a longer mesial tooth row and therefore a longer muzzle than in extant species. The new species documents a previous unknown Miocene group of
Tarsius
, indicating greater taxonomic diversity and morphological complexity during tarsier evolution. The current restriction of tarsiers to offshore islands in Southeast Asia appears to be a relatively recent phenomenon.
is an extant genus of primates endemic to the islands of Southeast Asia that is characterized by enormously enlarged orbits reflecting its nocturnal activity pattern. Tarsiers play a pivotal role in reconstructing primate phylogeny, because they appear to comprise, along with Anthropoidea, one of only two extant haplorhine clades. Their fossils are extremely rare. Here, we describe a new species of
from the Middle Miocene of Thailand. We reconstructed aspects of its orbital morphology using a geometric–morphometric method. The result shows that the new species of
had a very large orbit (falling within the range of variation of modern
) with a high degree of frontation and a low degree of convergence. Its relatively divergent lower premolar roots suggest a longer mesial tooth row and therefore a longer muzzle than in extant species. The new species documents a previous unknown Miocene group of
, indicating greater taxonomic diversity and morphological complexity during tarsier evolution. The current restriction of tarsiers to offshore islands in Southeast Asia appears to be a relatively recent phenomenon.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- bronze
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1098/rspb.2010.2062
- ISSN 0962-8452
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/72035
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