Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Reappraisal of Macaca speciosa subfossilis from the Late Pleistocene of Northern Vietnam Based on the Analysis of Cranial Anatomy

  • Published:
International Journal of Primatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Jouffroy (Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Série 2 31:209–216, 1959) described Macaca speciosa subfossilis on the basis of her study of the external anatomy of a nearly complete cranium (PV F1; Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris) found in the Late Pleistocene cave deposits, Thung-Lang, northern Vietnam. Whereas Jouffroy (Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Série 2 31:209–216, 1959) considered it to belong to an ancestor of Macaca arctoides or M. thibetana, Fooden (Journal of Human Evolution 19:607–686, 1990) reexamined the facial anatomy and assigned it to the extant species M. arctoides. We used computed tomography images to reevaluate the phylogenetic position of Macaca speciosa subfossilis by comparing the external and internal features of PV F1 with those of the crania of the extant macaque species. PV F1 shows a lower degree of preorbital concavity than Macaca arctoides, M. assamensis, and M. thibetana, but shares an anteriorly directed malar as seen in the crania of the two former species. The size of the molars of PV F1 falls within a range such that the cranium may be assigned to any of the five species of Macaca arctoides, M. assamensis, M. thibetana, M. mulatta, and M. nemestrina. An analysis of the internal structure of the cranium reveals that only PV F1 and the cranium of Macaca arctoides have a pear-shaped nasal cavity expanding laterally at both the anterior and posterior regions. Such a feature is probably a derived condition in the macaque lineage, suggesting a close relationship between Macaca speciosa subfossilis and M. arctoides. This finding supports the paleobiological scenario that the members of the lineage of Macaca arctoides diverged from the other members of Asian macaques and became distributed in northern Vietnam as early as the Late Pleistocene.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Cronin, J. E., Cann, R., & Sarich, V. M. (1980). Molecular evolution and systematics of the genus Macaca. In D. G. Lindburg (Ed.), The macaques: Studies in ecology, behavior and evolution (pp. 31–51). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhol.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deinard, A., & Smith, D. G. (2001). Phylogenetic relationships among the macaques: evidence from the nuclear locus NRAMP1. Journal of Human Evolution, 41, 45–59.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Delson, E. (1980). Fossil Macaques, phyletic relationships and a scenario of deployment. In D. G. Lindburg (Ed.), The macaques: Studies in ecology, behavior and evolution (pp. 10–30). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhol.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farris, J. S. (1989). The retention index and the rescaled consistency index. Cladistics, 5, 417–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fooden, J. (1980). Classification and distribution of living macaques (Macaca Lacépède, 1799). In D. G. Lindburg (Ed.), The macaques: Studies in ecology, behavior and evolution (pp. 1–9). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhol.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fooden, J. (1988). Taxonomy and evolution of the sinica group of macaques: 6. Interspecific comparisons and synthesis. Fieldiana Zool, 45, 1–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fooden, J. (1990). The bear macaques, Macaca arctoides: a systematic review. Journal of Human Evolution, 19, 607–686.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fooden, J., & Lanyon, S. M. (1989). Blood-protein allele frequencies and phylogenetic relationships in macaca: a review. American Journal of Primatology, 17, 209–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jablonski, N. G. (2002). Fossil old world monkeys: The late Neogene radiation. In W. C. Hartwig (Ed.), The primate fossil record (pp. 255–299). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jouffroy, F. K. (1959). Un crane subfossile de macaque du Pléistocène du Viet Nam. Bulletin du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle. Série 2, 31, 209–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koppe, T., & Nagai, T. (1999). Quantitative analysis of the maxillary sinus in Catarrhine Primates. In T. Koppe, H. Nagai & K. W. Alt (Eds.), The paranasal sinuses of highter primates: development, function, and evolution (p. 121). Berlin: Quintessence.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koppe, T., & Ohkawa, Y. (1999). Pneumatization of the facial skelton in Catarrhine Primates. In T. Koppe, H. Nagai & K. W. Alt (Eds.), The paranasal sinuses of highter primates: development, function, and evolution (pp. 77–119). Berlin: Quintessence.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koppe, T., & Rae, T. C. (2001). Factors influencing the pneumatization of the alveolar process in Macaques. In A. Brook (Ed.) 12th International symposium on dental morphology (pp. 267–276). Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd.

  • Koppe, T., Rae, T. C., & Swindler, D. R. (1999). Influence of craniofacial morphology on primate paranasal pneumatization. Annals of Anatomy, 181, 77–80.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Q. Q., & Zhang, Y. P. (2005). Phylogenetic relationships of the macaques (Cercopithecidae: Macaca), inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Biochemical Genetics, 43, 375–386.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, D., & Ding, M. (1984). The characteristics and evolution of the palaeoenvironment of China since the Late Tertiary. In R. O. Whyte (Ed.) The Evolution of the East Asian environment (pp. 11-40) Hong Kong: Center of Asian studies, University of Hong Kong.

  • Maddison, D. R., & Maddison, W. P. (2000). MacClade 4: Analysis of phylogeny and character evolution. Version 4.0. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morales, J. C., & Melnick, D. J. (1998). Phylogenetic relationships of the macaques (Cercopithecidae: Macaca), as revealed by high resolution restriction site mapping of mitochondrial ribosomal genes. Journal of Human Evolution, 34, 1–23.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura, T. D., Takai, M., & Maschenko, E. N. (2007). The maxillary sinus of Paradolichopithecus sushkini (late Pliocene, southern Tajikistan) and its phyletic implications. Journal of Human Evolution, 52, 637–646.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pan, R., Jablonski, N. G., Oxnard, C., & Freedman, L. (1998). Morphometric analysis of Macaca arctoides and M. thibetana in relation to other macaque species. Primates, 39, 519–537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rae, T. C. (2008). Paranasal pneumatization in extant and fossil Cercopithecoidea. Journal of Human Evolution, 54, 279–286.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rae, T. C., Hill, R. A., Hamada, Y., & Koppe, T. (2003). Clinical variation of sinus volume in Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata). American Journal of Primatology, 59, 153–158.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rae, T. C., Röhrer–Ertl, O., Wallner, C–. P., & Koppe, T. (2007). Paranasal pneumatization of two late Miocene colobines: Mesopithecus and Libypithecus (Cercopithecidae: Primates). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 27, 768–771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossie, J. B. (2005). Anatomy of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses in Aegyptopithecus and early Miocene African Catarrhines. American Journal of Anthropology, 126, 250–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossie, J. B., Simons, E. L., Gauld, S. C., & Rasmussen, D. T. (2002). Paranasal sinus anatomy of Aegyptopithecus: implications for hominoid origins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99, 8454–8456.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlosser, M. (1924). Fossil Primates from China. Palaeontologia Sinica. Series C, 1, 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singleton, M. (2002). Patterns of cranial shape variation in the Papionini (Primates; Cercopithecinae). Journal of Human Evolution, 42, 547–578.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. D., Rossie, J. B., & Bhatnagar, K. P. (2007). Evolution of the nose and nasal skeleton in Primates. Evolutionary Anthropology, 16, 132–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stierna, P. L. E. (2001). Physiology, mucociliary clearance, and neural control. In D. Kennedy, W. Bolger & S. Zinnreich (Eds.), Diseases of the sinuses: Diagnosis and management (pp. 35–45). Hamilton: B.C. Decker.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szalay, F. S., & Delson, E. (1979). Evolutionary history of the primates. New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thierry, B., Iwaniuk, A. N., & Pellis, S. M. (2000). The influence of phylogeny on the social behavior of macaques (Primates: Cercopithecidae, genus Macaca). Ethology, 106, 713–728.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tosi, A. J., Morales, J. C., & Melnick, D. J. (2000). Comparison of Y chromosome and mtDNA phylogenies leads to unique inferences of macaque evolutionary history. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 17, 133–144.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tosi, A. J., Morales, J. C., & Melnick, D. J. (2003). Paternal, maternal, and biparental molecular markers provide unique windows onto the evolutionary history of macaque monkeys. Evolution, 57, 1419–1435.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Young, C. C. (1934). On the Insectivora, Chiroptera, Rodentia and Primates other than Sinanthropus from locality 1 of Choukoutien. Palaeontologia Sinica. Series C, 8, 122–128.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), the Japan Monkey Centre (JMC), Okayama University Hospital, and Laboratory of Physical Anthropology (KAS) and the Primate Research Institute (PRI) of the Kyoto University for offering us the opportunities to scan the specimens. We thank Todd C. Rae of the University of Roehampton; Daisuke Shimizu of JMC; José Braga in the Université Paul Sabatier; Arnaud Beck in the Institut de Médecine et de Physiologie Spatiales; Sylvie Charreau and Albeal Mvoto of the Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse; Masato Nakatsukasa, Naomichi Ogihara, and Wataru Yano of KAS; Zin Maung Maung Thein of PRI; and Taung Htike of Shwebo Degree College for their help for CT scanning. We thank Naoko Egi of PRI for her supportive advice on phyletic analysis, and Elizabeth Nakajima for checking the English text. We also greatly appreciate Joanna Setchell and 2 anonymous reviewers for improving the quality of this paper. This research was financially supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant 21770263 to T. D. Nishimura; Grant 20405015 to M. Takai), by the Ito Foundation, Tokyo (to T. D. Nishimura), by GDRI CNRS, France (to B. Senut), and by the Global Center of Excellence Program Formation of a Strategic Base for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Research: from Genome to Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (Grant A06 to Kyoto University).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan

    Tsuyoshi Ito, Takeshi D. Nishimura & Masanaru Takai

  2. Département Histoire de la Terre, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, USM 203-UMR 5143 CNRS, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France

    Brigitte Senut

  3. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, 17487, Greifswald, Germany

    Thomas Koppe

  4. UMR 8555 CNRS et Service de Radiologie, Clinique Pasteur, 31300, Toulouse, France

    Jacque Treil

Authors
  1. Tsuyoshi Ito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takeshi D. Nishimura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Brigitte Senut
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Thomas Koppe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jacque Treil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Masanaru Takai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tsuyoshi Ito.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ito, T., Nishimura, T.D., Senut, B. et al. Reappraisal of Macaca speciosa subfossilis from the Late Pleistocene of Northern Vietnam Based on the Analysis of Cranial Anatomy. Int J Primatol 30, 643–662 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-009-9365-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-009-9365-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation