Khoratpithecus
Extinct genus of primates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Khoratpithecus is an extinct genus of pongin primates that lived during the Late Miocene (7–9 million years ago) in Myanmar and Thailand.
| Khoratpithecus Temporal range: Late Miocene, ~ | |
|---|---|
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| Holotype mandible of Khoratpithecus ayeyarwadyensis from Myanmar | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Superfamily: | Hominoidea |
| Family: | Hominidae |
| Subfamily: | Ponginae |
| Tribe: | Pongini |
| Genus: | †Khoratpithecus Chaimanee et al. 2004[1] |
| Type species | |
| †Khoratpithecus piriyai Chaimanee et al. 2004 | |
| Species | |
Three species belong to this genus:
- Khoratpithecus chiangmuanensis from Thailand (Chaimanee, Jolly, Benammi, Tafforeau, Duzer, Moussa & Jaeger, 2003) (formerly Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis)
- Khoratpithecus piriyai from Thailand Chaimanee, Suteethorn, Jintasakul, Vidthayanon, Marandat & Jaeger, 2004
- Khoratpithecus ayeyarwadyensis from Myanmar Jaeger, Soe, Chavasseau, Coster, Emonet, Guy, Lebrun, Maung, Shwe, Tun, Oo, Rugbumrung, Bocherens, Benammi, Chaivanich, Tafforeau & Chaimanee, 2011
Palaeobiology
Stable isotopic analysis consisting of paired δ13C and δ18O measurements shows that K. ayeyarwadyensis inhabited the treetops of highly forested habitats and fed exclusively on C3 vegetation.[4] Dental microwear and dental topography both indicate that Khoratpithecus was frugivorous, preferring soft fruits over seeds and hard fruits.[5]
