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Yuanmoupithecus Temporal range: Late Miocene, 8.2–7.1 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Family:	Hylobatidae
Genus:	†Yuanmoupithecus Pan, 2006
Species:	†Y. xiaoyuan
Binomial name
†Yuanmoupithecus xiaoyuan Pan, 2006

Yuanmoupithecus is an extinct genus of gibbons that lived 8.2 to 7.1 million years ago during the late Miocene. As of 2022, it is the oldest gibbon known. The fossils, mainly of teeth, were discovered from Yuanmou, Yunnan Province, China. The type species is Y. xiaoyuan, described by Yuerong Pan in 2006.

Discovery

Yuanmoupithecus fossils were discovered from the Late Miocene Xiaohe Formation in the Yuanmou Basin, Yunnan Province in southwest China. The first specimens were the first right molar and the second left molar found during an excavation between 1986 and 1990 at Fangbeiliangzi, a low hill near Xiaohe village, by a joint expedition of the Yunnan Provincial Museum, Chuxiong Prefectural Museum and the Yuanmou Man Museum. Five more teeth fragments were recovered in 1999 from Leilao village. In 2006, Yuerong Pan at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, gave the formal description and the scientific name. Several additional teeth were collected from the surrounding areas between 2006 and 2022, including the lower face of a juvenile individual and a second left molar, which became the holotype specimen. Most of the teeth were worn and incomplete and the identity of the primate could not be resolved. However, two complete teeth collected at Leilao in 2006 gave a clear picture of the fossils. Presenting the analysis of the two teeth at the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Terry Harrison of New York University confirmed that the specimens are closely related to modern gibbons, remarking the species as "an early gibbon ancestor" in 2008. The species became one of the well-established Miocene primates, as Bruce Grant, colleague of Harrison, explained:

Perhaps the most exciting finding (reported in this years AAPA meetings ) was the discovery that Yuanmoupithecus represents the earliest known fossil gibbon. I have been hunting for ancestral gibbons all of my professional life, debunking most of the purported candidates, so I'm especially excited about these discoveries.

After additional collections of seven complete teeth and an upper jaw, detailed description and evolutionary implications were published in the Journal of Human Evolution in 2022.

Description and importance

The gibbon family separated from the apes around 17 to 22 million years ago. Miocene primates between 14 and 21 million years old have been known from Africa, so that gibbons are presumed to originate in Africa. However, there is a large gap of fossil record around 10 million years old that would link the gibbon family tree from those of African species to other parts of the world. The oldest gibbon fossils are about 2 million years old that are found in Asia. At around 8.2 to 7.1 million years old, Yuanmoupithecus fits well the large gap of the missing fossil lines, and is considered to be an important intermediate species between monkeys and great apes.

According to estimates, Yuanmoupithecus is about the size of modern gibbons, weighing around 16 kg.

References

1. ^ Ji, Xueping; Harrison, Terry; Zhang, Yingqi; Wu, Yun; Zhang, Chunxia; Hu, Jinming; Wu, Dongdong; Hou, Yemao; Li, Song; Wang, Guofu; Wang, Zhenzhen (2022). "The earliest hylobatid from the Late Miocene of China". Journal of Human Evolution. 171: 103251. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103251. ISSN 0047-2484. PMID 36113226. S2CID 252243877.
2. ^ "Earliest gibbon fossil gives clues about history of apes". BBC Newsround. 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
3. ^ Caton, Emma (2022-11-07). "Earliest gibbon fossil unlocks clues about the history of apes". The Natural History Museum, London.
4. ^ Pan, Y. (2006). "Primates". In Qi, G.; Dong, W. (eds.). Lufengpithecus hudienensis Site. Beijing: Science Press. pp. 131–148.
5. Bower, Bruce (2008-04-24). "China was an ancient-ape paradise". ScienceNews. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
6. Grant, B. (2008). "Faculty News" (PDF). Newsletter of the Department of Anthropology, New York University. 21: 11–12.
7. Liu, jia (2022-09-29). "Earliest Gibbon Fossil Discovered in SW China's Yunnan, Fills Evolutionary Gap". english.cas.cn. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
8. Harrison, Terry (2016), Reichard, Ulrich H.; Hirai, Hirohisa; Barelli, Claudia (eds.), "The Fossil Record and Evolutionary History of Hylobatids", Evolution of Gibbons and Siamang: Phylogeny, Morphology, and Cognition, Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects, New York, NY: Springer, pp. 91–110, doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-5614-2_4, ISBN 978-1-4939-5614-2, retrieved 2024-04-25
9. Walters, Sam (2022-09-16). "Earliest Gibbon Fossils Fill in the Gaps of Primate Evolution". Discover Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-25.

v t e Haplorhini
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates
Haplorhini †"Omomyidae" Altanius? Altiatlasius? Bownomomys Kohatius Microchoerinae Indusomys Melaneremia Microchoerus Nannopithex Necrolemur Paraloris Pseudoloris Quercyloris Vectipithex "Anaptomorphinae" Absarokius Anaptomorphus Anemorhysis Arapahovius Aycrossia Chlororhysis Gazinius Pseudotetonius Sphacorhysis Strigorhysis Tatmanius Teilhardina Tetonius Tetonoides Trogolemur Walshina "Omomyinae" Ageitodendron Asiomomys Brontomomys Chipetaia Chumashius Diablomomys Dyseolemur Ekwiiyemakius Gunnelltarsius Hemiacodon Jemezius Loveina Macrotarsius Nesomomys Omomys Ourayia Rooneyia Shoshonius Steinius Stockia Uintanius Utahia Washakius Wyomomys Yaquius Tarkadectinae Tarka Tarkadectes Tarkops Tarsiiformes †Archicebus †Afrotarsiidae? †"Omomyidae"? Tarsiidae Carlito Cephalopachus †Hesperotarsius †Oligotarsius Tarsius †Xanthorhysis? Simiiformes see below↓
Simiiformes Simiiformes †Altiatlasius? †Amamria †Aseanpithecus †Nosmips? †Phileosimias? †Afrotarsiidae? Afrasia Afrotarsius †Eosimiidae Bahinia Eosimias Phenacopithecus †Amphipithecidae Amphipithecus Bugtipithecus? Ganlea Krabia Myanmarpithecus Pondaungia Siamopithecus †Parapithecoidea Arsinoea Biretia Proteopithecidae Proteopithecus Serapia Parapithecidae Abuqatrania Apidium Parapithecus Qatrania Ucayalipithecus Platyrrhini †Parvimico †Perupithecus †Szalatavus †Canaanimico †Branisella †Lagonimico Aotidae Aotus †Tremacebus Pitheciidae †Antillothrix Cacajao Callicebus †Carlocebus †Cebupithecia Cheracebus Chiropotes †Homunculus †Insulacebus †Mazzonicebus †Miocallicebus †Nuciruptor Pithecia Plecturocebus †Proteropithecia †Soriacebus †Xenothrix Atelidae Alouatta Ateles Brachyteles †Caipora †Cartelles †Chilecebus Lagothrix †Mohanamico Oreonax †Paralouatta †Protopithecus †Solimoea †Stirtonia Cebidae †Acrecebus Cebus †Dolichocebus †Killikaike †Panamacebus †Patasola Saimiri Sapajus Callitrichidae Callimico Callithrix Cebuella Leontocebus Leontopithecus Mico †Micodon Saguinus Catarrhini see below↓
Catarrhini Catarrhini †Micropithecus †Saadanius †Oligopithecidae Catopithecus Oligopithecus Talahpithecus †Propliopithecidae Aegyptopithecus Propliopithecus †Pliopithecoidea Krishnapithecus Paidopithex †Kapi Pliopithecidae Epipliopithecus Pliopithecus Dionysopithecidae Dionysopithecus Platodontopithecus Crouzeliidae Anapithecus Barberapithecus Crouzelia Egarapithecus Fanchangia Laccopithecus Plesiopliopithecus Pliobates Cercopithecoidea †Alophe †Victoriapithecidae Noropithecus Nsungwepithecus? Prohylobates? Victoriapithecus Zaltanpithecus Colobinae †Cercopithecoides Colobus †Dolichopithecus †Kuseracolobus †Libypithecus †Mesopithecus †Microcolobus Nasalis †Paracolobus †Parapresbytis Piliocolobus Presbytis Procolobus Pygathrix †Rhinocolobus Rhinopithecus †Sawecolobus Semnopithecus Simias Trachypithecus Cercopithecinae Cercopithecini Allenopithecus Allochrocebus Cercopithecus Chlorocebus Erythrocebus Miopithecus †Nanopithecus Papionini Cercocebus †Dinopithecus †Gorgopithecus Lophocebus Macaca Mandrillus Papio †Paradolichopithecus †Parapapio †Pliopapio †Procercocebus †Procynocephalus Rungwecebus †Soromandrillus Theropithecus Hominoidea see below↓
Hominoidea Hominoidea †Afropithecus †Ekembo †Equatorius †Griphopithecus †Kamoyapithecus? †Kenyapithecus †Morotopithecus †Nacholapithecus †Otavipithecus †Proconsul †Samburupithecus †Dendropithecidae Dendropithecus Micropithecus? Nyanzapithecus Oreopithecus? Rangwapithecus Rukwapithecus Simiolus Turkanapithecus Hylobatidae †Bunopithecus Hoolock Hylobates †Junzi Nomascus Symphalangus †Yuanmoupithecus Hominidae †Buronius †Graecopithecus †Nakalipithecus †Ouranopithecus Ponginae †Ankarapithecus †Gigantopithecus †Indopithecus †Khoratpithecus †Lufengpithecus †Meganthropus Pongo †Sivapithecus Homininae †Dryopithecini Anoiapithecus Danuvius Dryopithecus Hispanopithecus? Pierolapithecus? Rudapithecus Gorillini †Chororapithecus? Gorilla †Nakalipithecus? Hominini Pan Hominina †Ardipithecus? †Australopithecus †Graecopithecus? Homo †Kenyanthropus †Orrorin? †Sahelanthropus? †Paranthropus

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