Mesopropithecus pithecoides

[Melanie]

Mesopropithecus pithecoides


TAXONOMY:

suborder: Strepsirrhini
infraorder: Lemuriformes
superfamily: Lemuroidea
family: Indriidae

MORPHOLOGY:
Mesopropithecus pithecoides had relatively large upper incisors (Fleagle, 1988). This species had a dental formula of 2:1:2:3 on the upper jaw and 2:0:2:3 on the lower jaw (Martin, 1990). The skeleton of this species was more robust than members of the extant genus Propithecus (Fleagle, 1988). The humerus and the femur of this species were about the same size (Fleagle, 1988). This species had an average body mass of around 11.0 kilograms (Fleagle, 1988).

RANGE:
Mesopropithecus pithecoides was found on the island of Madagascar (Fleagle, 1988).

DIET:
Based upon dental morphology this was a folivorous species (Fleagle, 1988).

LOCOMOTION:
Based upon postcranial remains this species was most likely an arboreal quadruped (Jungers, 1980; cited in Fleagle, 1988).

REFERENCES:
Fleagle, J.G. 1988. Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press: New York.

Jungers, W.L. 1980. Adaptive Diversity in Subfossil Malagasy Prosimians. Z. Morphol. Anthropol., Vol. 71(2), 177-186.

Martin, R.D. 1990. Primate Origins and Evolution: A Phylogenetic Reconstruction. Princeton University Press: Princeton, New Jersey.

Last updated: November 14, 2001

[another specialist]

also look here has related subject & links that relate to this species aswell

extinctanimals.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=primates&action=display&thread=1117835256

[sordes]

Information about anatomy and behavior, pictures of the skull and bones:http://www.laits.utexas.edu/shapiro/sub/sub33.html
www.laits.utexas.edu/shapiro/sub/sub34.html
www.laits.utexas.edu/shapiro/sub/sub35.html
www.laits.utexas.edu/shapiro/sub/sub36.html

[another specialist]

sordes said:

Information about anatomy and behavior, pictures of the skull and bones:http://www.laits.utexas.edu/shapiro/sub/sub33.html
www.laits.utexas.edu/shapiro/sub/sub34.html
www.laits.utexas.edu/shapiro/sub/sub35.html
www.laits.utexas.edu/shapiro/sub/sub36.html

Mesopropithecus - Cranial Characteristics

Mesopropithecus retains the indriid-type toothcomb with four anterior teeth and shares numerous dental features with indriids and other palaepropithecids, however it has larger upper incisors than the extant Propithecus. Mesopropithecus is also characterized by short upper and lower premolars.

Mesopropithecus

The smallest and most primitive of the palaeopropithecids, Mesopropithecus is the most similar subfossil lemur to extant indriids, especially Propithecus, and a basal member of the sloth lemurs. Of the palaeopropithecids, it was the most quadrupedal, engaging in loris-like slow climbing and quadrupedalism with some forelimb and hindlimb suspension.

Geographical Distribution: central, northern, southern, and southwestern Madagascar
Age: Late Quaternary
Dental Formula: 2.1.2.3 / 2.0.2.3
Reconstructed Body Mass: 10 kg
Diet: primarily folivorous, with some fruit and seeds

Mesopropithecus - Dental Characteristics

Mesopropithecus retains the indriid-type toothcomb with four anterior teeth and shares numerous dental features with indriids and other palaepropithecids, however it has larger upper incisors than the extant Propithecus. Mesopropithecus is also characterized by short upper and lower premolars.


Mesopropithecus - Postcranial Characteristics

As a basal member of the sloth lemurs, Mesopropithecus is the most indriid-like and quadrupedal, however it does share some suspensory adaptations with the other palaeopropithecids, including strongly curved proximal phalanges and moderately reduced spines of lumbar vertebrae. Like the indriids, Mesopropithecus has fore and hindlimbs equal in length.

[another specialist]

bork.hampshire.edu/josiah/EVANarticle.pdf

[another specialist]

Walker's Primates of the World
By Ronald M. Nowak, Ernest Pillsbury Walker, Russell A. Mittermeier, William R. Konstant, Anthony B. Rylands

[another specialist]

Walker's Primates of the World
By Ronald M. Nowak, Ernest Pillsbury Walker, Russell A. Mittermeier, William R. Konstant, Anthony B. Rylands

[Sebbe]

The macroevolutionary impact of recent and imminent mammal extinctions on Madagascar.

Many of Madagascar’s unique species are threatened with extinction. However, the severity of recent and potential extinctions in a global evolutionary context is unquantified. Here, we compile a phylogenetic dataset for the complete non-marine mammalian biota of Madagascar and estimate natural rates of extinction, colonization, and speciation. We measure how long it would take to restore Madagascar’s mammalian biodiversity under these rates, the “evolutionary return time” (ERT). At the time of human arrival there were approximately 250 species of mammals on Madagascar, resulting from 33 colonisation events (28 by bats), but at least 30 of these species have gone extinct since then. We show that the loss of currently threatened species would have a much deeper long-term impact than all the extinctions since human arrival. A return from current to pre-human diversity would take 1.6 million years (Myr) for bats, and 2.9 Myr for non-volant mammals. However, if species currently classified as threatened go extinct, the ERT rises to 2.9 Myr for bats and 23 Myr for non-volant mammals. Our results suggest that an extinction wave with deep evolutionary impact is imminent on Madagascar unless immediate conservation actions are taken.

www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35215-3

[Sebbe]

Who Ate the Subfossil Lemurs? A Taphonomic and Community Study of Raptor, Crocodylian and Carnivoran Predation of the Extinct Quaternary Lemurs of Madagascar.

protectedareas.mg/document/show/269191