Palaeopropithecus
| Palaeopropithecus | ||||||||||||
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Palaeopropithecus ingens , drawing reconstruction of life |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Palaeopropithecus | ||||||||||||
| G. Grandidier , 1899 |
Palaeopropithecus is an extinct genus of primates thatlivedon the island of Madagascar until around 1000 years ago. These animals were the largest tree-living representatives of the Palaeopropithecinae , an extinct group of primates whose physique and lifestyle are reminiscent of today's sloths . There are two types , Palaeopropithecus ingens and Palaeopropithecus maximus ; Subfossils of a possible third species not yet described were found in 2002.
Finds
Palaeopropithecus reached a weight of presumably 40 to 60 kilograms and was thus significantly larger than all Malagasy primates living today. The animals had very long arms and the legs were significantly shorter. The hands and feet were also elongated and curved in a hook shape, the thumbs, however, receded. This physique suggests a slow, suspensory way of life, that is, they hung down from the branches.
Her skull was elongated and her muzzle very flexible. The lower incisors were erect, the molars narrow and long, the strong shear edges of the teeth indicate that these animals primarily ate leaves. Their movements must have been slow and deliberate, also due to the low nutritional value of their food.
The remains of Palaeopropithecus found were 2300 to 1000 years old; their extinction is likely to be related to the settlement of Madagascar by humans. This settlement only took place around 1500 years ago, and more than 15 species of primate have disappeared since then. The reasons for the extinction were presumably due to hunting and habitat destruction, possibly coupled with climatic changes. Due to its size and sluggishness, Palaeopropithecus should have been an easy target for hunters. The exact time of their extinction is not known, it is estimated at 500 to 1000 years ago.
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2002, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
