The Middle Pleistocene vertebrate fauna from Khok Sung (Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand): biochronological and paleobiogeographical implications
Author
Suraprasit, Kantapon
Author
Jaeger, Jean-Jacques
Author
Chaimanee, Yaowalak
Author
Chavasseau, Olivier
Author
Yamee, Chotima
Author
Tian, Pannipa
Author
Panha, Somsak
text
ZooKeys
2016
613
1
157
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.613.8309
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.613.8309
1313-2970-613-1
0FDE9BAB3DD4402DB6E1177639C32D43
0FDE9BAB3DD4402DB6E1177639C32D43
Taxon classification Animalia Primates Cercopithecidae
Macaca sp.
Referred material.
A right tibia, DMR-KS-05-04-04-1.
Material description.
The right tibia is complete (Fig. 6
A-D
) and elongated (for measurements, see Appendix 1). On the proximal articular surface, the medial condyle is as large as the lateral one. The lateral condyle is convex anteroposteriorly (Fig. 6C). The posteromedial margin of the lateral condyle lacks a notch that indicates a single meniscus attachment. At the proximal end, the tibial tuberosity is developed. The shaft is elongated, anteriorly and laterally bowed, and not anteroposteriorly compressed (Fig. 6A, B). Distally, the trochlear surface is trapezoid in outline (Fig. 6D). The medial malleolus is well-developed and projects more anteriorly than posteriorly. The medial and lateral parts of the trochlear surface are equally separated by a weak median keel.
Figure 6. Postcranial remains of
Macaca
sp.
A-D
and
Cuon
sp.
E-H
from Khok Sung:
A-D
DMR-KS-05-04-04-1, a right tibia in anterior (A), medial (B), proximal (C), and distal (D) views
E-F
DMR-KS-05-04-11-34, a right ulna in medial (E) and anterior (F) views
G-H
DMR-KS-05-04-28-13, a right femur in proximal (G) and posterior (H) views.
Taxonomic remarks and comparisons.
Tibial morphology is relatively conservative within and among primates. Particularly, the morphological differences of tibiae among cercopithecoids are minimal (
Turley et al. 2011
). The distal part of tibiae of arboreal primates (including
Hylobates
and all arboreal cercopithecoids) is characterized by more rounded borders of the trochlear surface and a convex proximal border of the medial malleolus joining the trochlear surface (
Tallman et al. 2013
). The specimen DMR-KS-05-04-04-1 shows typical characters of the recent cercopithecoids whose tibial shaft is less mediolaterally compressed than those of great apes. However, the tibia from Khok Sung represents compatible dimensions with the tibiae of
Hylobates
(gibbon),
Presbytis
(surili), and
Macaca
(macaque). We suggest here to make a distinction between these genera based on the ratios of the greatest length of the tibia to the length or width of the proximal tibia (GL/Bp or GL/Dp). Based on these indices, the Khok Sung tibia falls within the range of recent
Macaca
(Tab. 2). According to the
ratios
, the shaft of both the surilis and gibbons is more elongated, compared to that of macaques. The distal tibia of DMR-KS-05-04-04-1 also shares some additional characters with that of macaques such as the poorly developed ball-shaped convexity and -articular facet (
Sondaar et al. 2006
) and the shape of the trochlear surface (
Tallman et al. 2013
: Fig. 5). We therefore attribute this material to
Macaca
sp.
Table 2. Ratios of the greatest lengths of tibiae (GL) to the lengths and widths of proximal and distal tibiae (Bp, Dp, Bd, and Dd) of Khok Sung macaques compared to recent Southeast Asian primates.
DMR-KS-05-04-04-1 |
Presbytis
(N = 30)
|
Hylobates
(N = 24)
|
Macaca
(N = 71)
|
Max |
Min |
Mean |
Max |
Min |
Mean |
Max |
Min |
Mean |
GL/Bp |
GL/Dp |
GL/Bd |
GL/Dd |