Archaeopithecus: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:19, 19 April 2025

Revision as of 00:19, 19 July 2025

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==Description==

This animal is mostly known from several cranial remains, including an almost complete skull, teeth and mandibles. Comparison with some of its better known relatives allows to portray a small animal, somewhat similar with [[rodent]]s, and weighing less than two kilograms. The snout was higher than in ''[[Notopithecus]]'', with a longer rostrum ; the mandible was short and thick, with a particularly massive, short and broad [[mandibular symphysis]]. The tympanic bullae were modestly sized.

''Archaeopithecus'' had conical incisors, similar to its canines, and triangular-shaped upper premolars, devoid of hypocone. The premolars and molars had a strong parastyle and a paracone fold. Unlike other Eocene notoungulates such as ''Notopithecus'' and ''[[Oldfieldthomasia]]'', which had low-crowned teeth, ''Archaeopithecus'' had a near-hypsodont (high-crowned) dentition, with short diastemas between the anterior teeth. The teeth of ''Archaeopithecus'' show an important occlusal variability during growth, associated with a variations caused by wear in the size of the teeth : with the progress of dental wear, the upper molars became wider, while the lower molars became broad and short.

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==Classification==

The type species, ''Archaeopithecus rongeri'', was first described in 1897 by [[Florentino Ameghino]]. It is known from various fossils discovered in Middle Eocene terrains of [[Argentina]]. More recently, other species of small notoungulates from the same terrains were described, including ''Acropithecus tersus'' and ''Archaeopithecus rigidus''. Several studies tried subsequently to shed light on their taxonomic confusion ; a recent review of their fossil materials indicates that all those species are most probably synonymous with the type species.<ref>B. Vera. 2017. Patagonian Eocene Archaeopithecidae Ameghino, 1897 (Notoungulata): systematic revision, phylogeny and biostratigraphy. Journal of Paleontology</ref>

''Archaeopithecus'' and ''Acropithecus'' were initially described by Ameghino as primitive [[monkey]]s, hence their name, ''Archaeopithecus'' ("archaic monkey") and ''Acropithecus'' ("highest monkey"), but were later correctly attributed to the order [[Notoungulata]]. There is still doubts over the real relationships of this genus within Notoungulata ; it is often placed, with its relative ''[[Teratopithecus]]'', within the family [[Archaeopithecidae]], sometimes including the better known genus ''Notopithecus'', and characterized by the characteristic conical incisors and canines and the near hypsodont molars. It may have been an archaic member of the suborder [[Typotheria]], a group of rodent-like notoungulates.

==References==