Kenyapithecus:
- adducted hallux for knuckle walking (
- found in woodland and shrubland, adapted for these areas because of thick enameled teeth and macaque-like limbs (martin, 1985; McCrossin et al. 1998 )
- may be earliest hominid (has zygomatic root high on maxilla, (larger inferior than superior transverse torus, relatively short and wide
corpus) ( ) (Kofous Potential hominoid ancestors for hominidae)
- may be same species as Equatorius but probably a more derived form (McCrossin and Benefit, 1997 vs Harrison, 1992) has also been linked with Griphopithecus (Begun, 2000)
- Kenyapithecus (and other African mid-Miocene great apes including Nacholapithecus and Equatorius) may have evolved in situ in Africa, but were probably derived from earlier Eurasian hominids. The hominid radiations in Africa during the Middle Miocene were all relatively short lived.
- The narrow anterior dental arcade, procumbent incisors with curved roots,
anteriorly positioned zygomatic origin, restricted maxillary sinus and mandible with markedly sloping symphysis, pronounced inferior transverse torus and shallow, robust corpus differentiate K. wickeri from most other African hominoids. (Alan Bilsborough . Todd C. Rae, Hominid Crania diversity and adapatation)
- reduction or absence of cingulum in the molars, an
increase of the enamel thickness, large upper premolars relative to the molars, and the more molarized dp3 close to that of Gorilla and Pan (McCrossin and Benefit 1997). All these features are shared with Ouranopithecus, Sivapithecus, and Griphopithecus. (Kofous Potential hominoid ancestors for hominidae)
McCrossin ML, Benefit BR (1997) On the relationships
and adaptations of Kenyapithecus,
a large‐bodied hominoid from the middle
Miocene of eastern Africa. In: Begun DR,
Ward CV, Rose MD (eds) Function, phylogeny,
and fossils: Miocene hominoid evolution
and adaptation. Plenum, New York,
pp 241–267