Aegyptopithecus

Aegyptopithecus was discovered by Elwyn Simons in 1966 in the Gabal Qatrani Formation, located in the Faiyum Governorate of central Egypt. Its scientific name means "linking Egyptian ape". There is controversy over whether or not Aegyptopithecus should be a genus on its own or whether it should be moved into the genus Propliopithecus. == Morphology ==

129172/3/4/5) of A. zeuxis Aegyptopithecus zeuxis was a species that had a dental formula of , with the lower molars increasing in size posteriorly. The molars showed an adaptation called compartmentalizing shear, which is where the cutting edges involved in the buccal phase serve to surround basins in such a way that food is cut into fragments that are trapped and then ground during the lingual phase. The canines of this species were sexually dimorphic. The ascending mandibular ramus of this species is relatively broad. The orbits are dorsally oriented and relatively small which suggested that this was a diurnal species. This species showed some postorbital constriction. The interorbital distance of Aegyptopithecus zeuxis is large much like that found in colobines. A sagittal crest developed in older individuals and extends over the brow ridges. This species had an auditory region which is similar to that found in platyrrhines, having no bony tube and the tympanic fused to the lateral surface of the bulla. The humerus has a head which faces posteriorly and is narrower than primates that practice suspensory behavior. The humerus also shares some features with extinct hominoids: a large medial epicondyle and a comparatively wide trochlea. This species had an ulna that compares to the extinct members of the genus Alouatta. On the foot bones, this species had a grasping hallux. Aegyptopithecus zeuxis shares characteristics with haplorrhines such as a fused mandibular and frontal symphyses, postorbital closure, and superior and inferior transverse tori. Based on dental dimensions and femoral remains the body mass of A. zeuxis is estimated to be 6.708 kg. This specimen's cranial capacity was found to be 14.63 cm3 and reanalysis of a male endocast (CGM 40237) estimates a cranial capacity of 21.8 cm3. These estimates dispel earlier ones of approximately 30 cm3. These measurements give an estimated male to female endocranial ratio of approximately 1.5, indicating A. zeuxis to be a dimorphic species. The olfactory bulb to endocranial volume ratio is considered to be on the lower end of the strepsirrhine spectrum, perhaps as a result of the organism's rostrum. In relation to other anthropoids, the frontal lobes of A. zeuxis are considered to be rather small but the olfactory bulbs are not considered to be small when taking into account the body size of A. zeuxis. Overall, the brain to body weight ratio of A. zeuxis is considered to be strepsirrhine-like and perhaps even non-primate like. == Behaviour ==

Aegyptopithecus zeuxis is thought to have been sexually dimorphic. In addition, the ulna and distal articular surface of the humerus indicate that A. zeuxis was not only an arboreal quadruped, but also large and slow. However, the rate of tooth chipping in Aegyptopithecus was very low, and this line of evidence indicates that it seldom consumed hard objects. == Habitat ==

Aegyptopithecus lived in the Fayum area of northern Egypt. Today, this area is semiarid and lacking in vegetation. At the time of Aegyptopithecus existence, the Oligocene, this area was heavily vegetated, subtropical, had many trees and had seasonal rainfall. == References ==