The Miocene Hominoids

Explore the Miocene in a variety of general websites. Then focus on Proconsul, the most famous Miocene genus. Next, explore recent discoveries and their implications for human evolution. Finally, write a short essay on the relationships between the Miocene apes and the human lineage.

General Background
Miocene Epoch: Life
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/tertiary/mio/miolife.html
The Miocene
http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/faq/gt/cenozoic/miocene.htm
A Riot of Apes in the Miocene
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~reffland/anthropology/anthro2003/origins/primates/primate_evol/miocene.html

Think about: What factors might have resulted in a "riot" of ape species during the Miocene?

Proconsul
Proconsul africanus
http://members.tripod.com/cacajao/proconsul_africanus.html
Proconsul nyanzae
http://members.tripod.com/cacajao/proconsul_nyanzae.html

Recent Discoveries
Is Pierolapithecus the Last Common Ancestor of Humans and Apes?
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2004/1118ape.shtml
Not All Great Apes Were Swingers
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6691
Ancient Ape Discovered—Last Ape-Human Ancestor?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/11/1118_041118_great_ape_ancestor.html

Think about: What can the Miocene apes tell us about Hominoid and human evolution? What has the recent discovery of Pierolapithecus added to the debate?


1			Given the material we have covered in chapters 4, 5, and 6, and what you have learned from this chapter's Web activities, discuss the types of selection pressures that might favor the appearance of hominoid characteristics? Would Proconsul be considered an ape today? Why do some researchers think that Pierolapithecus may be very important to understanding human evolution?

Your Results:

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