Skull reconstruction of the late Miocene ape Rudapithecus hungaricus from Rudabánya, Hungary

Philipp Gunz; Stephanie Kozakowski; Simon Neubauer; Adeline Le Cabec; Ottmar Kullmer; Stefano Benazzi; Jean Jacques Hublin; David R. Begun

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102687

Skull reconstruction of the late Miocene ape Rudapithecus hungaricus from Rudabánya, Hungary

Philipp Gunz
, Stephanie Kozakowski
, Simon Neubauer
, Adeline Le Cabec
, Ottmar Kullmer
, Stefano Benazzi
, Jean Jacques Hublin
, David R. Begun

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

We report on a computer-based reconstruction of a well-preserved ape skull from late Miocene deposits in Rudabánya, Hungary. Based on micro-computed tomographic scans of the original Rudapithecus hungaricus partial cranium RUD 200 and the associated mandible RUD 212 we realign displaced bone fragments, and reconstruct the shape of the upper and lower jaws guided by occlusal fingerprint analysis of dental wear patterns. We apply geometric morphometric methods based on several hundred landmarks and sliding semilandmarks to estimate missing data, and create multiple reconstructions of the specimen. We then compare the reconstructed overall cranial shape, as well as the volume and shape of the endocast, with extant primates. Multiple reconstructions of RUD 200 yield an average endocranial volume of 234 cc (S.D.: 9 cc; range: 221–247 cc). RUD 200 is most similar to African apes in overall cranial shape, but in a statistical analysis of endocranial shape the specimen falls closest to extant hylobatids. Our data suggest that R. hungaricus from the late Miocene in Europe displays aspects of the overall cranial geometry typical of extant African great apes, but it does not show an evolutionary reorganization of the brain evident in Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo.

Original language	English
Article number	102687
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Human Evolution
Volume	138
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102687
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2020
Externally published	Yes

Funding

We are grateful to all curators for providing access to specimens in their care. We thank Heiko Temming, Andreas Winzer, David Plotzki, Nadia A. Scott, Stefanie Stelzer, and André Strauss for their help with CT scanning, cataloguing and data preprocessing. This work was funded by the Max Planck Society , the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation , the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ( NSERC ), and the University of Toronto . This is publication 104 of the DFG Research Unit 771 Function and performance enhancement in the mammalian dentition—phylogenetic and ontogenetic impact on the masticatory apparatus . All data are available from the authors upon request. Appendix A

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

106056 Biological anthropology

Keywords

Brain evolution
Fossil reconstruction
Hominoid evolution
Miocene ape
SAMPLE
VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION
ENDOCRANIAL VOLUMES
MORPHOLOGY

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10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102687

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title = "Skull reconstruction of the late Miocene ape Rudapithecus hungaricus from Rudab{\'a}nya, Hungary",

abstract = "We report on a computer-based reconstruction of a well-preserved ape skull from late Miocene deposits in Rudab{\'a}nya, Hungary. Based on micro-computed tomographic scans of the original Rudapithecus hungaricus partial cranium RUD 200 and the associated mandible RUD 212 we realign displaced bone fragments, and reconstruct the shape of the upper and lower jaws guided by occlusal fingerprint analysis of dental wear patterns. We apply geometric morphometric methods based on several hundred landmarks and sliding semilandmarks to estimate missing data, and create multiple reconstructions of the specimen. We then compare the reconstructed overall cranial shape, as well as the volume and shape of the endocast, with extant primates. Multiple reconstructions of RUD 200 yield an average endocranial volume of 234 cc (S.D.: 9 cc; range: 221–247 cc). RUD 200 is most similar to African apes in overall cranial shape, but in a statistical analysis of endocranial shape the specimen falls closest to extant hylobatids. Our data suggest that R. hungaricus from the late Miocene in Europe displays aspects of the overall cranial geometry typical of extant African great apes, but it does not show an evolutionary reorganization of the brain evident in Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo.",

keywords = "Brain evolution, Fossil reconstruction, Hominoid evolution, Miocene ape, SAMPLE, VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION, ENDOCRANIAL VOLUMES, MORPHOLOGY",

author = "Philipp Gunz and Stephanie Kozakowski and Simon Neubauer and \{Le Cabec\}, Adeline and Ottmar Kullmer and Stefano Benazzi and Hublin, \{Jean Jacques\} and Begun, \{David R.\}",

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AU - Kozakowski, Stephanie

AU - Neubauer, Simon

AU - Le Cabec, Adeline

AU - Kullmer, Ottmar

AU - Benazzi, Stefano

AU - Hublin, Jean Jacques

AU - Begun, David R.

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Skull reconstruction of the late Miocene ape Rudapithecus hungaricus from Rudabánya, Hungary

Abstract

Funding

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

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