primitive hominoids

Proconsul africanus

Proconsul is one of the best represented Miocene hominoids in the fossil record. It lived from approximately 23 to 14 million years ago.

From the full array of remains it has been shown that there was considerable variation in this genus - unsurprisingly, considering its 9 million year existence.

Body sizes ranged from that of a small monkey (10 pounds) to that of a female gorilla (150 pounds). It also inhabited a wide range of environmental niches.

This included open woodlands as well as dense rainforests, and it is believed that some groupings could have lived partially on the ground for short periods.

Tailless Proconsul's teeth also consisted of a thin layer of enamel which suggests that it was probably a fruit eater.

It had a cranial capacity of 167cc, much like that of a gibbon.