This mandible belonging to a male Proconsul major preserves the left P4-M3 and the right canine. P. major is known only from Chamtwara, Songhor, Koru, Kapurtay and Legetet, a cluster of Early Miocene sites in the Tinderet region in the Lake Victoria Basin, Western Kenya. Songhor is dated at approximately 20mya. Five hominoid species including P. major are present at Songhor. Proconsul major is the largest known hominoid species in the Miocene of Kenya. Body size estimates, based on two isolated postcranial specimens, of 63.4Kg and 75.3 kg, is similar in size to male chimpanzees and female lowland gorillas respectively. P. major is sexually dimorphic as seen in the canines, which are considerably larger in the males. The paleoecology of Songhor, based on the presence of many primate species and evidence from other fauna, is reconstructed as representing a low forest and bits of montane habitats.
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Proconsul major
Proconsul major Age approx. 19.00 Million Years
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Forum Order: Primates Family: Proconsulidae Tribe: Proconsulinae Genus: Proconsul Species: major Element: Left mandible Locality: Songhor, Nyanza Province, Western Kenya Year of Discovery: 2004 Other Fossils to View |
