Journal article
1.32 ± 0.11 Ma age for underwater remains constrain antiquity and longevity of the Dominican primate Antillothrix bernensis
AL Rosenberger, R Pickering, H Green, SB Cooke, M Tallman, A Morrow, R Rímoli
Journal of Human Evolution | Published : 2015
Abstract
Endemic New World monkeys are an important element of the extinct mammal faunas of the Caribbean's Greater Antilles. Here we report the first geochronometric evidence that the primate Antillothrix bernensis existed in the Dominican Republic during the Pleistocene, based on the uranium-series age of carbonate speleothem that encased a tibia when it was collected in a flooded cave. Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of laser-scanned living and extinct samples provide evidence to support the hypothesis that this specimen and other Dominican primate tibial remains belong to that same species. U-Th dating of the host cave carbonate returns ages consistently at the 600 ka upper limit of the..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We are deeply indebted to our dive team, the Dominican Republic Speleological Society, especially Phillip Lehman, Cristian Pittaro, Vika Alexandrova and Dave Pratt, for their tireless work in recovering fossils. We thank Director Christian Martinez of the Museo del Hombre Dominicano for supporting this project. Eileen Westwig (American Museum of Natural History), William Stanley (Field Museum of Natural History), and Amanda Millhouse (National Museum of Natural History) helped us access extant comparative specimens and the G.S. Miller Collection (Smithsonian). Thanks to John Hellstrom (University of Melbourne) for the U-series discussions, Jon Woodhead for comments on the manuscript and the Varsha Pilbrow for providing intercontinental transport. This project was funded by several grants to A.L.R from Waitt/National Geographic Society, L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, PSC CUNY and the Tow Family Foundations (Brooklyn College); by a grant from the Australian Research Council to R.P.; by the Grand Valley State University Student Summer Scholars Program to M.T. and A.M.; and by an Explorers Club Exploration Fund Grant to S.B.C. This is NYCEP Morphometric Group contribution # 91.