Nacholapithecus

Nacholapithecus kerioi was an ape that lived 15-14 million years ago^[1] during the Middle Miocene. Fossils have been found in the Nachola formation in northern Kenya. The only member of the genus Nacholapithecus, it is thought to be a key genus in early hominid evolution. Similar in body plan to Proconsul, it had a long vertebral column with six lumbar vertebrae, no tail, a narrow torso, large upper limbs with mobile shoulder joints, and long feet.^[2]

Nacholapithecus Temporal range: 15–14 Million years ago
Nacholapithecus kerioi at the Kyoto University Museum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Family:	†Proconsulidae
Genus:	†Nacholapithecus Ishida, Kunimatsu, Nakatsukasa & Nakano, 1999
Species
†Nacholapithecus kerioi Ishida et al., 1999

Together with other Kenyapithecinae such as Equatorius, Kenyapithecus, and Griphopithecus, Nacholapithecus displayed synapomorphies with Anoiapithecus.^[3]

Taxonomy

Nacholapithecus was initially classified as belonging in Kenyapithecus,^[4] then attributed^[5] to Equatorius (with Equatorius perhaps grouped into a subfamily Equatorinae, instead of both species in Afropithecini),^[6][7] finally recognised by Ishida et al. (1999) as a separate genus.^[8][9][10] Classified perhaps as a member of the family Proconsulidae.^[11]

Fossil finds

Nacholapithecus kerioi is known from the lowest part of the Aka Aiteputh Formation, one of five formations in the Neogene System in Nachola, Samburu District, northern Kenya.^[12][13] The formation is largely part of the north-western rift flank overlying the Nachola Formation.^[14]