Macaque fossils (Cercopithecidae: Papionini) from the Kumok Cave, Sungho County, North Hwanghae Province, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe recently discovered macaque fossils, including mandible, maxilla fragments and isolated teeth, from the Kumok Cave, Sungho County, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea can be identified as Macaca mulatta. They represent the first recognised occurrence of fossil M. mulatta in the Kumok Cave. The Kumok Cave sediments include seven layers, of which the macaque fossils were found only in the third layer. Thermoluminescence dating on a calcite sample from Layer 3 is about 86.1 ± 7.7 ka, and geochronology by the accompanying mammal fauna belongs to the Late Pleistocene, Thus, it indicates that Layer 3 was represented by a warm phase at the end of the pre‐Würm interglacial Epoch. The Kumok fossils also contribute to the growing primate fossil record in DPRK, and indicate the need for increased research into fossil primates in that country.