Comparative and functional anatomy of Proconsul phalanges from the Kaswanga Primate Site, Rusinga Island, Kenya

Abstract

The fossil remains of nine individuals attributable to the Miocene hominoid genus Proconsul were recovered during 1984 and 1985 from the Kaswanga Primate Site on Rusinga Island, Kenya. Among the thousands of bone fragments recovered were hundreds of phalangeal fragments, which have been collected and assembled into 247 separate identifiable phalanges or phalangeal fragments, representing nine of ten identified Kaswanga individuals. This sample is many times larger than any other Miocene hominoid phalangeal sample, and preserves several examples of every hand and foot phalanx from both sexes (deduced from associated cranial remains) in several age categories. This allows for a much greater understanding of normal ranges of variation and for a more detailed reconstruction of positional behavior in Proconsul.

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