Theropithecus oswaldi Temporal range:
Pleistocene
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Fragmented jaw | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Family: | Cercopithecidae |
Genus: | Theropithecus |
Species: | †T. oswaldi
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Binomial name | |
†Theropithecus oswaldi (Andrews, 1916)
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Subspecies | |
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Synonyms | |
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Theropithecus oswaldi is an extinct species of Theropithecus from the early to middle Pleistocene of Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, Spain, Morocco and Algeria. [1] It appears to have been a specialised grazer. [2] The species went extinct in South Africa around 1.0 Ma. [3] Having existed alongside hominins like Homo erectus, it is likely that conflict with early humans played a role in their extinction as a site has been found with many juveniles butchered. [4] [5]
It is remarkable for its large size compared to other old world monkeys. One source projects a specimen of Theropithecus oswaldi to have weighed 72 kg (159 lb). [6] Postcranial fossils found of this species are much greater in size than extant papionins, including the mandrill. [7]