| Popis: |
While much attention has been given to the evolution of the hominoid hand, there has been less focus on the hand of other anthropoid primates. This is partly because our understanding of the anatomy, functional morphology, and evolution of the hand in non-hominoid anthropoid primates is hampered by the lack of adequate fossil material. Nevertheless, inclusion of these fossil taxa in a broader comparative study allows more reliable inferences about the traits that characterize the hands of ancestral catarrhine morphotypes. In addition, study of the hand bones of extinct anthropoid primates provides crucial evidence for assessing the evolution of locomotor behavior and foraging strategies. This contribution reviews the paleobiological and phylogenetic implications of fossilized hand remains of platyrrhines, parapithecoids, propliopithecoids, pliopithecoids, dendropithecoids, and cercopithecoids. By focusing on the most informative specimens, this contribution highlights how these fossils provide insight into the evolutionary history of hand form and function in non-hominoid anthropoid primates. |
