Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Anthropology (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Anthropology

Advisor/Mentor

Terhune, Claire E.

Committee Member

Villaseñor, Amelia

Second Committee Member

Delezene, Lucas K.

Keywords

biochronology; Cercopithecines; dental morphology; Pleistocene; Pliocene; subspecies

Abstract

The extensive collection of fossil macaques from Europe, spanning from the Late Miocene to the Late Pleistocene period, is believed to be of the species Macaca sylvanus. However, there has been a prolonged discussion regarding the classification of these specimens into a single taxonomic group as the existing dental sample exhibits a large amount of morphological and metric variation. Specifically, researchers have attempted to identify multiple subspecies based on chronological data of the paleontological locality and, secondly, based on dental metric variation. In this study, I assess temporal trends in the fossil record of Macaca sylvanus and compare overall variation in the extinct sample to variation in extant species and subspecies of cercopithecids and hominoids. Results indicate a slight decrease in the mesiodistal length or buccolingual breadth of the upper and lower molars from the Plio-Pleistocene sample compared to the extant sample of M. sylvanus, but found mixed results between the Early/Middle Pleistocene samples that do not support a directional temporal trend. Instead, models indicate a spatial trend where buccolingual breadth of the lower third molars decreased from the west to the east of the continent. Moreover, the overall variation in the complete fossil sample is so high that the possibility of multiple subspecies is plausible. However, metric variation in the subsamples is contradictory, showing higher variation in the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene sample and lower variation in the Middle-Late Pleistocene sample. Through this study, I highlight how metric data of cercopithecines only help to differentiate individuals widespread geographically, as the North African and European fossils. Temporal variation is considered secondarily. In the case of European fossil macaques, the lack of crania from different time periods and geographic regions will keep the debate about the accuracy of chronological subspecies open.

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