Rudapithecus

Rudapithecus Temporal range:
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Family:	Hominidae
Subfamily:	Homininae
Tribe:	†Dryopithecini
Genus:	†Rudapithecus Kretzoi, 1969
Species:	†R. hungaricus
Binomial name
†Rudapithecus hungaricus Kretzoi, 1969

Rudapithecus is a chimpanzee-like genus of ape which inhabited Europe during the Late Miocene, around 10 million years ago. One species is known, Rudapithecus hungaricus. The generic name "Rudapithecus" comes from where it was discovered, in Rudabánya, Northern Hungary in 1965 and sent to Budapest in 1967. The specific name "hungaricus" refers to the country where it was discovered, in Hungary.

Palaeobiology

Locomotion

Rudapithecus probably moved among branches like modern apes do now, holding its body upright, and climbing trees with its arms. Rudapithecus hungaricus differed from modern great apes by having a more flexible lumbar, which indicates when Rudapithecus came down to the ground, it might have had the ability to stand upright like humans do. Modern Gorilla, Pan, and Pongo have a long pelvis, and a short lumbar because they are very large animals, which is why they usually walk on all fours. Humans have a longer, more flexible lumbar, which allow humans to stand upright, and walk efficiently on two legs. It is known that Rudapithecus had a more flexible torso than today's apes, because it was much smaller, about the size of a medium-sized dog.

Palaeoecology

Dental microwear indicates that both Rudapithecus and its contemporary Anapithecus were frugivorous at the site of Rudabánya. However, Rudapithecus microwear is characterised by higher fractal complexity values, suggesting that it consumed harder fruits than Anapithecus and thus engaged in niche partitioning with the pliopithecid.