Hadropithecus

Hadropithecus
Temporal range: Pleistocene-Holocene
Hadropoithecus stenognathus skull and mandible elements
Extinct (444–772)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: †Archaeolemuridae
Genus: †Hadropithecus
Lorenz von Liburnau, 1899[2]
Species:
†H. stenognathus
Binomial name
†Hadropithecus stenognathus
Lorenz von Liburnau, 1899[1]
Synonyms[3][4]

Pithecodon sikorae Lorenz von Liburnau, 1900

Hadropithecus is a medium-sized, extinct genus of lemur, or strepsirrhine primate, from Madagascar that includes a single species, Hadropithecus stenognathus. Due to its rarity and lack of sufficient skeletal remains, it is one of the least understood of the extinct lemurs. Both it and Archaeolemur are collectively known as "monkey lemurs" or "baboon lemurs" due to body plans and dentition that suggest a terrestrial lifestyle and a diet similar to that of modern baboons. Hadropithecus had extended molars and a short, powerful jaw, suggesting that it was both a grazer and a seed predator.

The monkey lemurs are considered to be most closely related to the living indriids and the recently extinct sloth lemurs, although recent finds had caused some dispute over a possible closer relation to living lemurids. Genetic tests, however, have reaffirmed the previously presumed relationship. Hadropithecus lived in open habitat in the Central Plateau, South, and Southwest regions of Madagascar. It is known only from subfossil or recent remains and is considered to be a modern form of Malagasy lemur. It died out around 444–772 CE, shortly after the arrival of humans on the island.

  1. ^ Nowak, R.M. (1999). "Family Archaeolemuridae: Baboon Lemurs". Walker's Mammals of the World (6th ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1904Palmer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1902Lorenz_von_Liburnau was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Ryan, T.M.; Burney, D.A.; Godfrey, L.R.; Göhlich, U.B.; Jungers, W.L.; Vasey, N.; Ramilisonina; Walker, A.; Weber, G.W. (2008). "A reconstruction of the Vienna skull of Hadropithecus stenognathus" (PDF). PNAS. 105 (31): 10699–10702. Bibcode:2008PNAS..10510699R. doi:10.1073/pnas.0805195105. PMC 2488384. PMID 18663217. Retrieved 19 February 2010.