New primate genus from the Miocene of Argentina

Killikaike blakei is a new genus and species of anthropoid from the late Early Miocene of southeastern Argentina based on the most pristine fossil platyrrhine skull and dentition known so far. It is part of the New World platyrrhine clade (family Cebidae; subfamily Cebinae) including modern squirrel (Saimiri) and capuchin monkeys (Cebus) and their fossil relatives known from Early to Middle Miocene and subrecent periods. Living cebines are relatively largebrained, adroit predatory foragers and live within complex social groups, and wild capuchins exhibit a wide range of behaviors associated with enhanced intelligence. We show that K. blakei lacks diagnostic derived characteristics of the lower face and premolar dentition that are shared by modern cebines, but its strongly vaulted frontal bone and capacious anterior cranial fossa indicate the early evolution of an enlarged forebrain. Fil: Tejedor, Marcelo Fabian. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentina. Unidad Presidencia. Gerencia de Recursos Humanos. Dirección de Des.de Rec.humanos. Departamento de Becas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina Fil: Tauber, Adan Alejo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Rosenberger, Alfred. Brooklyn College. Department of Anthropology and Archaeology; Estados Unidos Fil: Swisher III, Carl. American Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos Fil: Palacios, Maria. Provincia de Santa Cruz. Subsecretaria de Cultura de la Pcia de Santa Cruz. Museo Regional Provincial Padre M J Molina; Argentina