法國國家科研中心8日發(fā)表公報說，該機(jī)構(gòu)與其他國家研究人員合作研究推測,，在緬甸發(fā)現(xiàn)的類人猿化石可能說明這一物種起源于亞洲,，而不是人們此前認(rèn)為的非洲,。
公報說,，早在20年前，法國國家科研中心的古生物學(xué)家洛朗·馬里沃就與多國考古學(xué)家合作,，在中國,、泰國、巴基斯坦和緬甸進(jìn)行挖掘,。2005年和2008年,，他們在緬甸挖掘出土了多件近4000萬年前的靈長目動物化石，其中一塊下頜骨牙齒十分尖利,，同時磨損也非常嚴(yán)重,，說明這種動物習(xí)慣用牙咬開堅硬的果殼，吸取其中營養(yǎng),，而這種飲食習(xí)慣只在類人猿身上發(fā)現(xiàn)過,，如南美洲的僧面猴。
在哺乳綱最高等的靈長目動物中,，存在兩大分支,，其一是原猴亞目，如狐猴,；其二就是類人猿亞目,，包括人類和猴子等。此前科學(xué)家們一直認(rèn)為,，類人猿起源于非洲大陸,，不過隨著類人猿化石在緬甸的發(fā)現(xiàn)，上述理論受到質(zhì)疑,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Proc. R. Soc. B July 1, 2009, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0836
A new primate from the Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar and the monophyly of Burmese amphipithecids
K. Christopher Beard1,*, Laurent Marivaux2, Yaowalak Chaimanee3, Jean-Jacques Jaeger4, Bernard Marandat2, Paul Tafforeau5, Aung Naing Soe6, Soe Thura Tun7 and Aung Aung Kyaw8
1Section of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
2Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Institut des Sciences de l’évolution, Université Montpellier 2, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
3Paleontology Division, Bureau of Paleontology and Museum, Department of Mineral Resources, Rama VI Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
4Institut International de Paléoprimatologie, Paléontologie Humaine, Evolution et Paléoenvironnements, Université de Poitiers, 40, Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86022 Poitiers, France
5European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38043 Grenoble, France
6Department of Geology, Hpa-an University, Hpa-an, Myanmar
7Myanmar Geosciences Society, MES Building, Hlaing University, Yangon, Myanmar
8Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Historical Research (Upper Myanmar), Ministry of Culture, Mandalay, Myanmar
The family Amphipithecidae is one of the two fossil primate taxa from Asia that appear to be early members of the anthropoid clade. Ganlea megacanina, gen. et sp. nov., is a new amphipithecid from the late middle Eocene Pondaung Formation of central Myanmar. The holotype of Ganlea is distinctive in having a relatively enormous lower canine showing heavy apical wear, indicating an important functional role of the lower canine in food preparation and ingestion. A phylogenetic analysis of amphipithecid relationships suggests that Ganlea is the sister taxon of Myanmarpithecus, a relatively small-bodied taxon that has often, but not always, been included in Amphipithecidae. Pondaungia is the sister taxon of the Ganlea + Myanmarpithecus clade. All three Pondaung amphipithecid genera are monophyletic with respect to Siamopithecus, which is the most basal amphipithecid currently known. The inclusion of Myanmarpithecus in Amphipithecidae diminishes the likelihood that amphipithecids are specially related to adapiform primates. Extremely heavy apical wear has been documented on the lower canines of all three genera of Burmese amphipithecids. This distinctive wear pattern suggests that Burmese amphipithecids were an endemic radiation of hard object feeders that may have been ecological analogues of living New World pitheciin monkeys.
