RECONSTRUCTING THE DIET AND PALEOECOLOGY OF PLIO-PLEISTOCENE CERCOPITHECOIDES WILLIAMSI FROM STERKFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Plio-Pleistocene cave site of Sterkfontein has yielded the remains of Cercopithecoides williamsi, a colobine monkey reconstructed as a terrestrial folivore given its dental morphology, heavily worn teeth and robustly built postcranial skeleton. To address the validity of these dietary and habitat inferences, patterns of dental microwear obtained from low-magnification stereomicroscopy for C. williamsi specimens from Sterkfontein Member 4 (n = 13) are compared to a broad comparative sample of extant primates, including Cebus apella (n = 10), Colobus polykomos, (n = 6), Papio anubis (n = 13), and Papio ursinus (n = 39) as well as extinct Parapapio broomi (n = 12) from Sterkfontein Member 4 and Theropithecus oswaldi danieli (n = 6) from Swartkrans Member 1. Cercopithecoides williamsi exhibits numerous large pits and puncture pits, and few fine scratches. When diet is considered, C. williamsi is closely associated with C. polykomos and C. apella, suggesting folivorous resources and ...