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''Hispanopithecus'' was a genus of apes that inhabited Europe during the Miocene period. It was first identified in a 1944 paper by J. F. Villalta and M. Crusafont in '. Anthropologists disagree as to whether ''Hispanopithecus'' belongs to the subfamily Ponginae (most closely related to modern orangutans) or Homininae (most closely related to gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans). Species of this genus have been identified as ''Hispanopithecus laietanus'' and ''Hispanopithecus crusafonti''. The fossils have been dated to between 11.1 and 9.5 million years ago.〔 ==Morphology== Post cranial features exhibit morphological features that suggest a mosaic of locomotive behaviors. The structure of the cortical bone at the proximal and distal ends of the femur, particularly the neck of the femoral head, indicate an orthograde body plan.〔Pina, M, Alba, D, Almécija, S, Fortuny, J, & Moyà-Solà, S 2012, 'Brief communication: Paleobiological inferences on the locomotor repertoire of extinct hominoids based on femoral neck cortical thickness: The fossil great ape hispanopithecus laietanus as a test-case study', American Journal Of Physical Anthropology, 149, 1, p. 142-148, Scopus®, EBSCOhost, viewed 23 October 2014.〕 Recovered vertebrae indicate a relatively short, wide, and deep thorax support the orthograde posture for climbling, clambering, and feeding in an arboreal environment. The longer forelimbs and dorsally situated scapulae provide a broad range of motion which would enable suspensory below-branch behavior and proficiency in reaching food during foraging.〔Susanna, I, Alba, D, Almécija, S, & Moyà-Solà, S 2014, 'The vertebral remains of the late Miocene great ape Hispanopithecus laietanus from Can Llobateres 2 (Vallès-Penedès Basin, NE Iberian Peninsula)', Journal Of Human Evolution, 73, p. 15-34, Scopus®, EBSCOhost, viewed 23 October 2014.〕 The humeral-ulnar joint allowed for hyperextension and flexation of the forearm.〔Alba, D, Almécija, S, Casanovas-Vilar, I, Méndez, J, & Moyà-Solà, S 2012, 'A Partial Skeleton of the Fossil Great Ape Hispanopithecus laietanus from Can Feu and the Mosaic Evolution of Crown-Hominoid Positional Behaviors', Plos ONE, 7, 6, pp. 1-16, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 23 October 2014.〕 The robust carpals and metacarpals with dorsally extended articular surfaces provide strong indication of palmigrade quadrupedalism in above-branch locomotion. The proximal phalanges are strongly curved and relatively long when compared to other great apes and most closely resembling the structure of extant orangutans. The length and curvature of the manual phalanges indicates the 'double-locking' mechanism similar to orangutans and enable a powerful grip around slender branches.〔〔Almécija, S, Alba, D, Moyà-Solà, S, & Köhler, M 2007, 'Orang-Like Manual Adaptations in the Fossil Hominoid Hispanopithecus laietanus: First Steps towards Great Ape Suspensory Behaviours', Proceedings: Biological Sciences, 1624, p. 2375, JSTOR Journals, EBSCOhost, viewed 23 October 2014.〕 The body mass estimates of recovered specimens provides strong evidence of sexual dimorphism. The males have been estimated to weigh approximately 40 kilograms and possess prominent canine teeth. The females have been estimated to weigh approximately 22-25 kilograms and possess reduced canine teeth.〔 The dental formula of Hispanopithecus, common to great apes, is 2.1.2.3/2.1.2.3 with the Y5 occlusal surface present on the lower molars.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hispanopithecus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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