Ponginae

Ponginae
Temporal range: 18.5–0 Ma
Pongo sp. (orangutan)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Subfamily: Ponginae
Genera

Lufengpithecus
Ankarapithecus
Sivapithecus
Gigantopithecus
Khoratpithecus
Pongo
Griphopithecus

Ponginae is a subfamily in the hominidae family. Once a diverse lineage of Eurasian apes, it is now represented by two species of orangutans, the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), and the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). The Sumatran orangutan is now listed as critically endangered by the IUCN and the Bornean orangutan is listed as endangered.[1][2]

Evolutionary history

The first pongine genera appear in the Miocene, Sivapithecus and Khoratpithecus,[3][4] six or seven million years before evidence of orangutans was found from Pleistocene south-east Asia and southern China.[5] Ponginae may also include the genera Lufengpithecus, Ankarapithecus, and Gigantopithecus. However phylogenetic analysis in 2004 which originally found Lufengpithecus and Ankarapithecus to be most closely related to the orangutan gave different results "under an analytical method that attempted to reduce stratigraphic incongruence",[6] instead placing them on the base of the stem of the African ape-human clade.[3]

The most well-known fossil genus of Ponginae is Sivapithecus, consisting of several species from 12.5 million to 8.5 million years ago. It differs from orangutans in dentition and postcranial morphology.[6]

Taxonomy

Ponginae[7]

References

  1. Singleton, I., Wich, S.A. & Griffiths, M. (2008). "Pongo abelii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 28 Jan 2011.
  2. Ancrenaz, M., Marshall, A., Goossens, B., van Schaik, C., Sugardjito, J., Gumal, M. & Wich, S. (2008). "Pongo pygmaeus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 28 Jan 2011.
  3. 1 2 Finarelli, J. A.; Clyde, W. C. (2004). "Reassessing hominoid phylogeny: Evaluating congruence in the morphological and temporal data" (PDF). Paleobiology 30 (4): 614. doi:10.1666/0094-8373(2004)030<0614:RHPECI>2.0.CO;2.
  4. Chaimanee, Y.; Suteethorn, V.; Jintasakul, P.; Vidthayanon, C.; Marandat, B.; Jaeger, J. J. (2004). "A new orang-utan relative from the Late Miocene of Thailand" (pdf). Nature 427 (6973): 439–441. doi:10.1038/nature02245. PMID 14749830.
  5. Bacon, A. M.; The Long, V. (2001). "The first discovery of a complete skeleton of a fossil orang-utan in a cave of the Hoa Binh Province, Vietnam". Journal of Human Evolution 41 (3): 227–241. doi:10.1006/jhev.2001.0496. PMID 11535001.
  6. 1 2 Taylor, C. (2011). "Old men of the woods". Palaeos. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
  7. Haaramo, Mikko (2004-02-04). "Pongidae". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive.
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