Date of Graduation
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Biological Sciences
Advisor/Mentor
Ungar, Peter
Committee Member
Lessner, Daniel
Second Committee Member
Shephard, Don
Abstract
This study reconstructs and compares the dietary habits of the late Miocene primates Anapithecus hernyaki and Rudapithecus hungaricus by analyzing dental microwear patterns on fossilized teeth recovered from Rudabánya, Hungary. Previous research suggested that these sympatric species were both primarily frugivores but were unable to separate them by diet. However, earlier studies were limited by smaller sample sizes and less advanced methodologies. This study used an expanded sample and modern microwear texture analysis techniques to compare molar and incisor microwear patterns between the two species. Results revealed that Rudapithecus molars exhibited higher complexity compared to Anapithecus molar complexity, suggesting a diet that included harder foods compared to Anapithecus. Despite this difference, both species maintained relatively low complexity values, reinforcing that their diet was primarily frugivory. These findings provide new insights into niche partitioning, suggesting that subtle differences in fallback food consumption may have contributed to the ecological coexistence of these Miocene primates.
Keywords
Dental Microwear; Rudabánya; Anapithecus; Rudapithecus
Citation
Wilcox, A. K. (2025). Dental Microwear of Miocene Primates from the Carpathian Basin, Rudabánya, Hungary. Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/biscuht/117
