This paper introduces a new database, “Mammalian Intercontinental Communities for Ecology” (MICE)... more This paper introduces a new database, “Mammalian Intercontinental Communities for Ecology” (MICE), which seeks to increase and improve, among others, the available material used in palaeoecological studies. Information on climate and terrestrial mammalian communities will be obtained for 500 localities from all around the world. Based on such information, both palaeoecological and neoecological studies will be produced. Problems identified in previous works are being taken into account while the new database is being compiled. When complete, this database will be uploaded to the World Wide Web in order to make it available to the scientific community. It will be interesting to see how the future development of MICE, with a strong dynamic and interactive character, will stimulate production in various scientific fields.
Miocene small-bodied anthropoid primates from Africa and Eurasia are generally considered to prec... more Miocene small-bodied anthropoid primates from Africa and Eurasia are generally considered to precede the divergence between the two groups of extant catarrhines—hominoids (apes and humans) and Old World monkeys—and are thus viewed as more primitive than the stem ape Proconsul. Here we describe Pliobates cataloniae gen. et sp. nov., a small-bodied (4 to 5 kilograms) primate from the Iberian Miocene (11.6 million years ago) that displays a mosaic of primitive characteristics coupled with multiple cranial and postcranial shared derived features of extant hominoids. Our cladistic analyses show that Pliobates is a stem hominoid that is more derived than previously described small catarrhines and Proconsul. This forces us to reevaluate the role played by small-bodied catarrhines in ape evolution and provides key insight into the last common ancestor of hylobatids (gibbons) and hominids (great apes and humans)
We report dental remains of the extinct colobine monkey Mesopithecus from the Turolian (MN13, Lat... more We report dental remains of the extinct colobine monkey Mesopithecus from the Turolian (MN13, Late Miocene, ca. 6.23 Ma) locality of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). They include most of the deciduous dentition and the unerupted germs of the first molars of a single infantile individual, as well as two lower left lateral incisors from two additional individuals. On the basis of morphometric comparisons, mainly based on the M1s, these remains are attributed to the Late Miocene species Mesopithecus pentelicus. They represent a significant addition to the knowledge of the deciduous dentition of this taxon, much less well-known than the permanent dentition. Although this genus was widely distributed from the Late Miocene through the Pliocene across Europe, southwestern Asia, Pakistan, and China, until now its occurence in the Late Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula had not been documented conclusively. Hence, the reported remains considerably enlarge southwestwards the known geographic distribution of Mes- opithecus. The presence of this genus at Venta del Moro must be understood within the framework of the significant faunal turnover that took place in European faunas during the latest Turolian (the second Messinian mammalian dispersal), which is further documented at this locality by the occurrence of other eastern immigrants. At the same time, the presence of M. pentelicus at this site agrees well with previous paleoenvironmental and sedimentological evidence, indicating a lacustrine depositional environment with strong hydrologic seasonality.
The mosaic nature of the Miocene ape postcranium hinders the reconstruction of the positional beh... more The mosaic nature of the Miocene ape postcranium hinders the reconstruction of the positional behavior and locomotion of these taxa based on isolated elements only. The fossil great ape Pierolapithecus catalaunicus (IPS 21350 skeleton; 11.9 Ma) exhibits a relatively wide and shallow thorax with moderate hand length and phalangeal curvature, dorsally-oriented metacarpophalangeal joints, and loss of ulnocarpal articulation. This evidence reveals enhanced orthograde postures without modern ape-like below-branch suspensory adaptations. Therefore, it has been proposed that natural selection enhanced vertical climbing (and not suspension per se) in Pierolapithecus catalaunicus. Although limb long bones are not available for this species, its patella (IPS 21350.37) can potentially provide insights into its knee function and thus on the complexity of its total morphological pattern. Here we provide a detailed description and morphometric analyses of IPS 21350.37, which are based on four external dimensions intended to capture the overall patellar shape. Our results reveal that the patella of Pierolapithecus is similar to that of extant great apes: proximodistally short, mediolaterally broad and anteroposteriorly thin. Previous biomechanical studies of the anthropoid knee based on the same measurements proposed that the modern great ape patella reflects a mobile knee joint while the long, narrow and thick patella of platyrrhine and especially cercopithecoid monkeys would increase the quadriceps moment arm in knee extension during walking, galloping, climbing and leaping. The patella of Pierolapithecus differs not only from that of monkeys and hylobatids, but also from that of basal hominoids (e.g., Proconsul and Nacholapithecus), which display slightly thinner patellae than extant great apes (the previously-inferred plesiomorphic hominoid condition). If patellar shape in Pierolapithecus is related to modern great ape-like knee function, our results suggest that increased knee mobility might have originally evolved in relation to enhanced climbing capabilities in great apes (such as specialized vertical climbing).
Orrorin tugenensis (Kenya, ca. 6 Ma) is one of the earliest putative hominins. Its proximal femur... more Orrorin tugenensis (Kenya, ca. 6 Ma) is one of the earliest putative hominins. Its proximal femur, BAR 1002′00, was originally described as being very human-like, although later multivariate analyses showed an australopith pattern. However, some of its traits (for example, laterally protruding greater trochanter, medially oriented lesser trochanter and presence of third trochanter) are also present in earlier Miocene apes. Here, we use geometric morphometrics to reassess the morphological affinities of BAR 1002′00 within a large sample of anthropoids (including fossil apes and hominins) and reconstruct hominoid proximal femur evolution using squared-change parsimony. Our results indicate that both hominin and modern great ape femora evolved in different directions from a primitive morphology represented by some fossil apes. Orrorin appears intermediate between Miocene apes and australopiths in shape space. This evidence is consistent with femoral shape similarities in extant great apes being derived and homoplastic and has profound implications for understanding the origins of human bipedalism.
The relationship between femoral neck superior and inferior cortical thickness in primates is rel... more The relationship between femoral neck superior and inferior cortical thickness in primates is related to locomotor behavior. This relationship has been employed to infer bipedalism in fossil hominins, although bipeds share the same pattern of generalized quadrupeds, where the superior cortex is thinner than the inferior one. In contrast, knuckle-walkers and specialized suspensory taxa display a more homogeneous distribution of cortical bone. These different patterns, probably related to the range of movement at the hip joint and concomitant differences in the load stresses at the femoral neck, are very promising for making locomotor inferences in extinct primates. To evaluate the utility of this feature in the fossil record, we relied on computed tomography applied to the femur of the Late Miocene hominoid Hispanopithecus laietanus as a test-case study. Both an orthograde body plan and orang-like suspensory adaptations had been previously documented for this taxon on different anatomical grounds, leading to the hypothesis that this fossil ape should display a modern ape-like distribution of femoral neck cortical thickness. This is confirmed by the results of this study, leading to the conclusion that Hispanopithecus represents the oldest evidence of a homogeneous cortical bone distribution in the hominoid fossil record. Our results therefore strengthen the utility of femoral neck cortical thickness for making paleobiological inferences on the locomotor repertoire of fossil primates. This feature would be particularly useful for assessing the degree of orthograde arboreal locomotor behaviors vs. terrestrial bipedalism in putative early hominins.
Among the species of the order Primates exist a huge variety of forms and habitats. This heteroge... more Among the species of the order Primates exist a huge variety of forms and habitats. This heterogene- ity has encouraged the evolution and development of a great number of locomotor adaptations to differ- ent environments. Thus, nowadays there are both arboreal and terrestrial groups within the order. The subfamily Cercopithecinae present taxa with both kinds of locomotor behaviours, although the most of them are adapted to a ground life-style. This group probably has an arboreal ancestor and its radiation is relatively recent. Consequently, species belonged to this group present mixed features or sometimes not too much derived ones. Likewise, it is important the fact that the evolutionary history and phylogeny of the group could influence in some characteristics. Both the calcaneum and the talus are two of the largest bones of the foot and are good for inferring the kind of locomotion. For this reason, it has been used these two tarsal bones to study the morphology of eight species of cercopithecines and then deduce functional implications of the kind of locomotion
A palaeochorological study of the mammalian fauna from Somosaguas (Pozuelo de Alarcón, mammalian ... more A palaeochorological study of the mammalian fauna from Somosaguas (Pozuelo de Alarcón, mammalian fauna from Somosaguas (Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid) during the middle Miocene (Aragonian, MN5, local biozone E, 14 Ma) has shown two main types of biogeographical distributions: endemisms and species with wide distribution. Comparison with the modern fauna from Madrid reveals that the proportion of endemic species was slightly higher 14 million years ago. Probably, this is related to the Neogene global cooling trend, which has made the Iberian Peninsula shift from the Palaeotropical biogeographic realm to the Palaearctic realm. As a result, modern Iberian faunas have become more similar to central European ones than in the Miocene.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 156 S60: 253, Feb 2015
Miocene apes display a mosaic of primitive and derived hominoid features conferring them a body p... more Miocene apes display a mosaic of primitive and derived hominoid features conferring them a body plan with no modern locomotor analogs. Thus, the external morphology of the proximal femur in available fossil apes most closely approaches the extant ape condition. However, femoral mechanical properties and internal structure in extinct apes are less well known, even though they are essential to understand the evolution of loading regimes at the hominid hip joint. W e analyzed the biomechanical properties of the proximal femur IPS41724 from ACM/C3- Az (11.9 Ma, NE Iberian Peninsula), the oldest femur attributed to a fossil great ape (cf. Dryopithecus fontani). Externally, this femur combines primitive (e.g., laterally protruding greater trochanter and presence of third trochanter) and derived features (e.g., large and round head and high neck-shaft angle). Unlike in extant apes, the internal structure of the neck in IPS41724 exhibits a generalized monkey-like asymmetric distribution of the cortical bone, being superiorly thinner. Diaphyseal cross-sections display an ellipsoidal shape (anteroposteriorly flattened), with a great amount of cortical bone (mainly at the subtrochanteric level) and similarities with chimpanzees regarding bending strength. Thus, whereas the external morphology of IPS41724 is mainly modern ape-like, the stereotyped loadings at the neck and the shaft structural properties are similar to extant monkeys and knuckle-walkers, respectively. Thereby, we conclude that IPS41724 would have been less specialized for enhanced hip abduction than later Miocene taxa, with significant implications for inferring the plesiomorphic condition from which the locomotor repertoires of extant apes and bipedal hominins evolved.
Tradicionalmente, el grosor del hueso cortical en el cuello del fémur se ha relacionado con el ti... more Tradicionalmente, el grosor del hueso cortical en el cuello del fémur se ha relacionado con el tipo de locomoción, distinguiendo a bípedos de otros grupos. En este trabajo se analiza la relación entre el grosor de la cortical superior e inferior del cuello del fémur, así como la relación de este grosor con la masa corporal. Se ha podido observar que distinguir claramente el bipedismo de otros tipos locomo-tores es sólo posible cuando las comparaciones se restringen a los hominoideos, puesto que estos se solapan notablemente con los primates cuadrúpedos. Por lo tanto, es necesario realizar análisis adi-cionales para inferir el bipedismo habitual en los primeros supuestos homininos, tales como Orrorin, para los cuales se desconoce el componente arborícola de su locomoción.
This paper introduces a new database, “Mammalian Intercontinental Communities for Ecology” (MICE)... more This paper introduces a new database, “Mammalian Intercontinental Communities for Ecology” (MICE), which seeks to increase and improve, among others, the available material used in palaeoecological studies. Information on climate and terrestrial mammalian communities will be obtained for 500 localities from all around the world. Based on such information, both palaeoecological and neoecological studies will be produced. Problems identified in previous works are being taken into account while the new database is being compiled. When complete, this database will be uploaded to the World Wide Web in order to make it available to the scientific community. It will be interesting to see how the future development of MICE, with a strong dynamic and interactive character, will stimulate production in various scientific fields.
Miocene small-bodied anthropoid primates from Africa and Eurasia are generally considered to prec... more Miocene small-bodied anthropoid primates from Africa and Eurasia are generally considered to precede the divergence between the two groups of extant catarrhines—hominoids (apes and humans) and Old World monkeys—and are thus viewed as more primitive than the stem ape Proconsul. Here we describe Pliobates cataloniae gen. et sp. nov., a small-bodied (4 to 5 kilograms) primate from the Iberian Miocene (11.6 million years ago) that displays a mosaic of primitive characteristics coupled with multiple cranial and postcranial shared derived features of extant hominoids. Our cladistic analyses show that Pliobates is a stem hominoid that is more derived than previously described small catarrhines and Proconsul. This forces us to reevaluate the role played by small-bodied catarrhines in ape evolution and provides key insight into the last common ancestor of hylobatids (gibbons) and hominids (great apes and humans)
We report dental remains of the extinct colobine monkey Mesopithecus from the Turolian (MN13, Lat... more We report dental remains of the extinct colobine monkey Mesopithecus from the Turolian (MN13, Late Miocene, ca. 6.23 Ma) locality of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). They include most of the deciduous dentition and the unerupted germs of the first molars of a single infantile individual, as well as two lower left lateral incisors from two additional individuals. On the basis of morphometric comparisons, mainly based on the M1s, these remains are attributed to the Late Miocene species Mesopithecus pentelicus. They represent a significant addition to the knowledge of the deciduous dentition of this taxon, much less well-known than the permanent dentition. Although this genus was widely distributed from the Late Miocene through the Pliocene across Europe, southwestern Asia, Pakistan, and China, until now its occurence in the Late Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula had not been documented conclusively. Hence, the reported remains considerably enlarge southwestwards the known geographic distribution of Mes- opithecus. The presence of this genus at Venta del Moro must be understood within the framework of the significant faunal turnover that took place in European faunas during the latest Turolian (the second Messinian mammalian dispersal), which is further documented at this locality by the occurrence of other eastern immigrants. At the same time, the presence of M. pentelicus at this site agrees well with previous paleoenvironmental and sedimentological evidence, indicating a lacustrine depositional environment with strong hydrologic seasonality.
The mosaic nature of the Miocene ape postcranium hinders the reconstruction of the positional beh... more The mosaic nature of the Miocene ape postcranium hinders the reconstruction of the positional behavior and locomotion of these taxa based on isolated elements only. The fossil great ape Pierolapithecus catalaunicus (IPS 21350 skeleton; 11.9 Ma) exhibits a relatively wide and shallow thorax with moderate hand length and phalangeal curvature, dorsally-oriented metacarpophalangeal joints, and loss of ulnocarpal articulation. This evidence reveals enhanced orthograde postures without modern ape-like below-branch suspensory adaptations. Therefore, it has been proposed that natural selection enhanced vertical climbing (and not suspension per se) in Pierolapithecus catalaunicus. Although limb long bones are not available for this species, its patella (IPS 21350.37) can potentially provide insights into its knee function and thus on the complexity of its total morphological pattern. Here we provide a detailed description and morphometric analyses of IPS 21350.37, which are based on four external dimensions intended to capture the overall patellar shape. Our results reveal that the patella of Pierolapithecus is similar to that of extant great apes: proximodistally short, mediolaterally broad and anteroposteriorly thin. Previous biomechanical studies of the anthropoid knee based on the same measurements proposed that the modern great ape patella reflects a mobile knee joint while the long, narrow and thick patella of platyrrhine and especially cercopithecoid monkeys would increase the quadriceps moment arm in knee extension during walking, galloping, climbing and leaping. The patella of Pierolapithecus differs not only from that of monkeys and hylobatids, but also from that of basal hominoids (e.g., Proconsul and Nacholapithecus), which display slightly thinner patellae than extant great apes (the previously-inferred plesiomorphic hominoid condition). If patellar shape in Pierolapithecus is related to modern great ape-like knee function, our results suggest that increased knee mobility might have originally evolved in relation to enhanced climbing capabilities in great apes (such as specialized vertical climbing).
Orrorin tugenensis (Kenya, ca. 6 Ma) is one of the earliest putative hominins. Its proximal femur... more Orrorin tugenensis (Kenya, ca. 6 Ma) is one of the earliest putative hominins. Its proximal femur, BAR 1002′00, was originally described as being very human-like, although later multivariate analyses showed an australopith pattern. However, some of its traits (for example, laterally protruding greater trochanter, medially oriented lesser trochanter and presence of third trochanter) are also present in earlier Miocene apes. Here, we use geometric morphometrics to reassess the morphological affinities of BAR 1002′00 within a large sample of anthropoids (including fossil apes and hominins) and reconstruct hominoid proximal femur evolution using squared-change parsimony. Our results indicate that both hominin and modern great ape femora evolved in different directions from a primitive morphology represented by some fossil apes. Orrorin appears intermediate between Miocene apes and australopiths in shape space. This evidence is consistent with femoral shape similarities in extant great apes being derived and homoplastic and has profound implications for understanding the origins of human bipedalism.
The relationship between femoral neck superior and inferior cortical thickness in primates is rel... more The relationship between femoral neck superior and inferior cortical thickness in primates is related to locomotor behavior. This relationship has been employed to infer bipedalism in fossil hominins, although bipeds share the same pattern of generalized quadrupeds, where the superior cortex is thinner than the inferior one. In contrast, knuckle-walkers and specialized suspensory taxa display a more homogeneous distribution of cortical bone. These different patterns, probably related to the range of movement at the hip joint and concomitant differences in the load stresses at the femoral neck, are very promising for making locomotor inferences in extinct primates. To evaluate the utility of this feature in the fossil record, we relied on computed tomography applied to the femur of the Late Miocene hominoid Hispanopithecus laietanus as a test-case study. Both an orthograde body plan and orang-like suspensory adaptations had been previously documented for this taxon on different anatomical grounds, leading to the hypothesis that this fossil ape should display a modern ape-like distribution of femoral neck cortical thickness. This is confirmed by the results of this study, leading to the conclusion that Hispanopithecus represents the oldest evidence of a homogeneous cortical bone distribution in the hominoid fossil record. Our results therefore strengthen the utility of femoral neck cortical thickness for making paleobiological inferences on the locomotor repertoire of fossil primates. This feature would be particularly useful for assessing the degree of orthograde arboreal locomotor behaviors vs. terrestrial bipedalism in putative early hominins.
Among the species of the order Primates exist a huge variety of forms and habitats. This heteroge... more Among the species of the order Primates exist a huge variety of forms and habitats. This heterogene- ity has encouraged the evolution and development of a great number of locomotor adaptations to differ- ent environments. Thus, nowadays there are both arboreal and terrestrial groups within the order. The subfamily Cercopithecinae present taxa with both kinds of locomotor behaviours, although the most of them are adapted to a ground life-style. This group probably has an arboreal ancestor and its radiation is relatively recent. Consequently, species belonged to this group present mixed features or sometimes not too much derived ones. Likewise, it is important the fact that the evolutionary history and phylogeny of the group could influence in some characteristics. Both the calcaneum and the talus are two of the largest bones of the foot and are good for inferring the kind of locomotion. For this reason, it has been used these two tarsal bones to study the morphology of eight species of cercopithecines and then deduce functional implications of the kind of locomotion
A palaeochorological study of the mammalian fauna from Somosaguas (Pozuelo de Alarcón, mammalian ... more A palaeochorological study of the mammalian fauna from Somosaguas (Pozuelo de Alarcón, mammalian fauna from Somosaguas (Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid) during the middle Miocene (Aragonian, MN5, local biozone E, 14 Ma) has shown two main types of biogeographical distributions: endemisms and species with wide distribution. Comparison with the modern fauna from Madrid reveals that the proportion of endemic species was slightly higher 14 million years ago. Probably, this is related to the Neogene global cooling trend, which has made the Iberian Peninsula shift from the Palaeotropical biogeographic realm to the Palaearctic realm. As a result, modern Iberian faunas have become more similar to central European ones than in the Miocene.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 156 S60: 253, Feb 2015
Miocene apes display a mosaic of primitive and derived hominoid features conferring them a body p... more Miocene apes display a mosaic of primitive and derived hominoid features conferring them a body plan with no modern locomotor analogs. Thus, the external morphology of the proximal femur in available fossil apes most closely approaches the extant ape condition. However, femoral mechanical properties and internal structure in extinct apes are less well known, even though they are essential to understand the evolution of loading regimes at the hominid hip joint. W e analyzed the biomechanical properties of the proximal femur IPS41724 from ACM/C3- Az (11.9 Ma, NE Iberian Peninsula), the oldest femur attributed to a fossil great ape (cf. Dryopithecus fontani). Externally, this femur combines primitive (e.g., laterally protruding greater trochanter and presence of third trochanter) and derived features (e.g., large and round head and high neck-shaft angle). Unlike in extant apes, the internal structure of the neck in IPS41724 exhibits a generalized monkey-like asymmetric distribution of the cortical bone, being superiorly thinner. Diaphyseal cross-sections display an ellipsoidal shape (anteroposteriorly flattened), with a great amount of cortical bone (mainly at the subtrochanteric level) and similarities with chimpanzees regarding bending strength. Thus, whereas the external morphology of IPS41724 is mainly modern ape-like, the stereotyped loadings at the neck and the shaft structural properties are similar to extant monkeys and knuckle-walkers, respectively. Thereby, we conclude that IPS41724 would have been less specialized for enhanced hip abduction than later Miocene taxa, with significant implications for inferring the plesiomorphic condition from which the locomotor repertoires of extant apes and bipedal hominins evolved.
Tradicionalmente, el grosor del hueso cortical en el cuello del fémur se ha relacionado con el ti... more Tradicionalmente, el grosor del hueso cortical en el cuello del fémur se ha relacionado con el tipo de locomoción, distinguiendo a bípedos de otros grupos. En este trabajo se analiza la relación entre el grosor de la cortical superior e inferior del cuello del fémur, así como la relación de este grosor con la masa corporal. Se ha podido observar que distinguir claramente el bipedismo de otros tipos locomo-tores es sólo posible cuando las comparaciones se restringen a los hominoideos, puesto que estos se solapan notablemente con los primates cuadrúpedos. Por lo tanto, es necesario realizar análisis adi-cionales para inferir el bipedismo habitual en los primeros supuestos homininos, tales como Orrorin, para los cuales se desconoce el componente arborícola de su locomoción.
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Papers by Marta Pina
Keywords: Bioclimatology, Biome, Climate, Database, Ecology, Internet, Mammalian Communities, Palaeoecology.
Palabras clave: Bioclimatología, Bioma, Clima, Base de Datos, Ecología, Internet, Comunidades de Mamíferos, Paleoecología.
(apes and humans) and Old World monkeys—and are thus viewed as more primitive than the stem ape Proconsul. Here we describe Pliobates cataloniae gen. et sp. nov., a small-bodied (4 to 5 kilograms) primate from the Iberian Miocene (11.6 million years ago) that displays a mosaic of primitive characteristics coupled with multiple cranial and postcranial shared derived features of extant hominoids. Our cladistic analyses show that Pliobates is a stem hominoid that is more derived than previously described small catarrhines and Proconsul. This forces us to reevaluate the role played by small-bodied catarrhines in ape evolution and provides key insight into the last common ancestor of hylobatids (gibbons) and hominids (great apes and humans)
Abstracts by Marta Pina
Keywords: Bioclimatology, Biome, Climate, Database, Ecology, Internet, Mammalian Communities, Palaeoecology.
Palabras clave: Bioclimatología, Bioma, Clima, Base de Datos, Ecología, Internet, Comunidades de Mamíferos, Paleoecología.
(apes and humans) and Old World monkeys—and are thus viewed as more primitive than the stem ape Proconsul. Here we describe Pliobates cataloniae gen. et sp. nov., a small-bodied (4 to 5 kilograms) primate from the Iberian Miocene (11.6 million years ago) that displays a mosaic of primitive characteristics coupled with multiple cranial and postcranial shared derived features of extant hominoids. Our cladistic analyses show that Pliobates is a stem hominoid that is more derived than previously described small catarrhines and Proconsul. This forces us to reevaluate the role played by small-bodied catarrhines in ape evolution and provides key insight into the last common ancestor of hylobatids (gibbons) and hominids (great apes and humans)