Study for Miocene Hominoids and Their Palaeoenvironment in East Africa

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Our knowledge of hominid origin is very limited while it is an interesting and importnat subject in modern anthropology. This research project has approached it on the basis of the evolutionalry study of African Miocene Hominoids and analysis of the palaeoenvironment, because of a very high possibility of the hominid origin in East Africa of late Miocene. In northern Kenya and eastern Zaire, palaeoanthropological, geological and palaeontological surveys have been conducted.Many fossil specimens were discovered through the field seasons. The taxa extend to Mammals, reptiles, fishes, molluscas and trees of the middle-late Miocene including a large hominoid, Kenyapithecus, Nyanzapithecus and Victoria-pithecus.A large hominoid, Samburu hominoid, was discovered from the Namurungule Formation (9Ma) in Samburu Hills, northern Kenya, of which environment is supposed to be a woodland or savanna because of a coexistence of bovids and equids which are similar to those of northern Africa and Europ … More e. A great number of specimens of middle-sized hominoids, Kenyapithecus were also discovered from Aka-Aitheputh Formation (15Ma) in Nachola area in northern Kenya. The faunal and floral assembleges show that this hominoid might have lived in a forest environment.Molar enamel analysis tells the food of both hominoids might have been hard stuffs. A highly sexual dimorphism was seen in Kenyapithecus while it is not clear in Samburu hominoid. A basic locomotor pattern of Kenyapithecus might be quadrupedalism with a vertical climbing activity. A combination of large-sized body and bunodont molar may suggest some possibility of an incipient bipedalism in Samburu hominoid, because of a possibility of terrestrial omnivorous habit.The evidences do not support the earliest hominid theory of Kenyapithecus by Simons and Pilbeam. The phylogenic status of the Samburu hominoid is not clear but there is some possibility as an earliest member of hominids. It is very necessary to continue excavations in the Samburu Hills and other sites in East Africa. Less