Propotto is an extinct monotypic genus of strepsirrhineprimate from the early Miocene of Kenya. It contains one described species, Propotto leakeyi. Although long considered a pteropodid fruit-eating bat after spending a brief sojourn as a prehistoric relative of lorises, recent research shows it to be an extinct relative of the aye-aye.
Simpson (1967) described Propotto on the basis of mandibles from Early Miocene deposits in Kenya that he regarded as constituting an extinct relative of the extant potto, hence the genus meaning "before Potto".[1] However, the lorisid classification of Propotto was questioned by Walker (1969), who argued that it represented a fruit bat of the family Pteropodidae, noting that the second premolar was smaller than those of lorises and that the mandibular corpus was also unlike those of lorisiforms in deepening anteriorly and having a deep masseteric fossa (Simpson accepted Walker's refutation of the lorisid placement of Propotto).[2] Several authors accepted the chiropteran classification of Propotto (although Butler 1984 did note that Propotto has an enlarged anterior lower tooth that is relatively larger than the lower canines of pteropodid fruit bats); Butler (1984) placed Propotto in a new subfamily of Pteropodidae, Propottinae.[3][4]
In a paper published in 2018, the late Gregg Gunnell and his colleagues cast doubt on the pteropodid classification of Propotto, noting that features cited by Walker (1969) to exclude the genus from Lorisidae are also found in the Eocene strepsirrhine Plesiopithecus from the Fayum Depression, Egypt. For example, they pointed out that the laterally compressed and presumably highly procumbent lower anterior tooth excluded Propotto from Chiroptera and instead occurs in Plesiopithecus and the aye-aye. The results of the cladistic analysis of Gunnell et al. (2018) recovered Propotto as the most basal member of Chiromyiformes, supporting the hypothesis that lemurs migrated to Madagascar in two distinct waves from Africa, perhaps in the late Cenozoic.[5]
Referencesedit
^Simpson, G. G. The tertiary lorisiform primates of Africa. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 136, 39–62 (1967).
^Walker, A. True affinities of Propotto leakeyi Simpson 1967. Nature 223, 647–648 (1969).
^Harrison, T. in Cenozoic Mammals of Africa (eds Werdelin, L. & Sanders, W. J.) Ch. 20 (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2010).
^Butler, P. M. Macroscelidea, Insectivora and Chiroptera from the Miocene of east Africa. Palaeovertebrata 14, 117–200 (1984).
^Gregg F. Gunnell; Doug M. Boyer; Anthony R. Friscia; Steven Heritage; Fredrick Kyalo Manthi; Ellen R. Miller; Hesham M. Sallam; Nancy B. Simmons; Nancy J. Stevens; Erik R. Seiffert (2018). "Fossil lemurs from Egypt and Kenya suggest an African origin for Madagascar's aye-aye". Nature Communications. 9: Article number 3193. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05648-w.
January 01, 1970
propotto, extinct, monotypic, genus, strepsirrhine, primate, from, early, miocene, kenya, contains, described, species, leakeyi, although, long, considered, pteropodid, fruit, eating, after, spending, brief, sojourn, prehistoric, relative, lorises, recent, res. Propotto is an extinct monotypic genus of strepsirrhine primate from the early Miocene of Kenya It contains one described species Propotto leakeyi Although long considered a pteropodid fruit eating bat after spending a brief sojourn as a prehistoric relative of lorises recent research shows it to be an extinct relative of the aye aye PropottoTemporal range Early Miocene 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 Strepsirrhini Infraorder Lemuriformes Superfamily Lemuroidea Genus PropottoSimpson 1967 Species P leakeyi Binomial name Propotto leakeyiSimpson 1967 Simpson 1967 described Propotto on the basis of mandibles from Early Miocene deposits in Kenya that he regarded as constituting an extinct relative of the extant potto hence the genus meaning before Potto 1 However the lorisid classification of Propotto was questioned by Walker 1969 who argued that it represented a fruit bat of the family Pteropodidae noting that the second premolar was smaller than those of lorises and that the mandibular corpus was also unlike those of lorisiforms in deepening anteriorly and having a deep masseteric fossa Simpson accepted Walker s refutation of the lorisid placement of Propotto 2 Several authors accepted the chiropteran classification of Propotto although Butler 1984 did note that Propotto has an enlarged anterior lower tooth that is relatively larger than the lower canines of pteropodid fruit bats Butler 1984 placed Propotto in a new subfamily of Pteropodidae Propottinae 3 4 In a paper published in 2018 the late Gregg Gunnell and his colleagues cast doubt on the pteropodid classification of Propotto noting that features cited by Walker 1969 to exclude the genus from Lorisidae are also found in the Eocene strepsirrhine Plesiopithecus from the Fayum Depression Egypt For example they pointed out that the laterally compressed and presumably highly procumbent lower anterior tooth excluded Propotto from Chiroptera and instead occurs in Plesiopithecus and the aye aye The results of the cladistic analysis of Gunnell et al 2018 recovered Propotto as the most basal member of Chiromyiformes supporting the hypothesis that lemurs migrated to Madagascar in two distinct waves from Africa perhaps in the late Cenozoic 5 References edit Simpson G G The tertiary lorisiform primates of Africa Bull Mus Comp Zool 136 39 62 1967 Walker A True affinities of Propotto leakeyi Simpson 1967 Nature 223 647 648 1969 Harrison T in Cenozoic Mammals of Africa eds Werdelin L amp Sanders W J Ch 20 University of California Press Berkeley 2010 Butler P M Macroscelidea Insectivora and Chiroptera from the Miocene of east Africa Palaeovertebrata 14 117 200 1984 Gregg F Gunnell Doug M Boyer Anthony R Friscia Steven Heritage Fredrick Kyalo Manthi Ellen R Miller Hesham M Sallam Nancy B Simmons Nancy J Stevens Erik R Seiffert 2018 Fossil lemurs from Egypt and Kenya suggest an African origin for Madagascar s aye aye Nature Communications 9 Article number 3193 doi 10 1038 s41467 018 05648 w Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Propotto amp oldid 1217406771, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
