Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Paleobiology of Theropithecus brumpti from the Turkana Basin, Kenya and Ethiopia

University Of Oregon Eugene, Eugene OR

Investigators

Abstract

The fossil representatives of the baboon genus Theropithecus are often used as indicators of past environments and as analogues for human evolution. However, data are essentially limited to one species, the grassland adapted T. oswaldi, masking potential morphological and ecological breadth within the genus. New fossil material of the putatively forest adapted species, T. brumpti, is now available. This project presents a detailed description of the paleobiology of T. brumpti including postcranial functional morphology and locomotor mode, and documents morphological correlates of cercopithecine locomotor behavior. Linear measurements collected from all available T. brumpti postcranial material and an extensive comparative sample are used to examine both general size and postcranial features that are thought to be related to locomotor mode. These features vary significantly among known cercopithecids. These measurements are analyzed using qualitative as well as univariate and multivariate quantitative approaches to test the hypotheses that (1) contrary to the current literature T. brumpti is actually relatively terrestrial (compared to most cercopithecids) even though associated with forest habitats, (2) yet, has more arboreal adaptations than other Theropithecus species, and (3) was a dexterous manual forager. This project is the first comprehensive postcranial functional analysis of T. brumpti. These data, along with the comparative sample, can be used to further explore (1) how climatic changes influence Theropithecus anatomy and behavior, (2) patterns of species occurrence and evolution in specific environmental contexts and (3) the interpretation of additional fossil taxa in future studies and (4) the paleoecological context of human evolution. This project will add new morphological data to be disseminated widely through shared databases (i.e. PRIMO) and publications, as well as strengthening ties between American, Ethiopian and Kenyan researchers. In addition, the project supports the research of a female graduate student.