Homunculus (genus)

Homunculus Temporal range: Early-Mid Miocene (Santacrucian-Mayoan) 17.5–11.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Homunculus patagonicus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Parvorder:	Platyrrhini
Genus:	†Homunculus Ameghino, 1891
Type species
Homunculus patagonicus Ameghino, 1891
Other Species
Homunculus vizcainoi Kay & Perry, 2019[1]

Homunculus is an extinct genus of New World monkey that lived in Patagonia during the Miocene. Two species are known: Homunculus patagonicus^[2][3][4] and Homunculus vizcainoi, which are known from material found in the Santa Cruz Formation in the far south of Argentina.^[1]

H. patagonicus was a robustly built, quadrupedal primate, with body mass estimates varying between 1.4 and 5.9 kg (3.1 and 13.0 lb) based on different techniques.^[5]

Some authors consider Killikaike blakei to be a junior synonym for H. patagonicus,^[6][1] but others consider the species distinct.^[7]

While some studies have regarded Homunculus as a crown group platyrhine and a member of the family Pitheciidae, other studies have regarded it as a stem-group platyrhine outside any modern group, which is supported by the morphology of its nasal turbinates, which are dissimilar to those of crown-group platyrhines.^[8]

Homunculus is suggested to have been primarily frugivorous based on dental wear.^[9]

References

1. Kay, R.F.; Perry, J.M.G. (2020). "New primates from the Río Santa Cruz and Río Bote (Early-Middle Miocene), Santa Cruz Province, Argentina". Publicacion Electronica de la Asociacion Paleontologica Argentina. 19 (2): 230–238. doi:10.5710/peapa.24.08.2019.289.
2. "Homunculus patagonicus". The Primata. 16 November 2001. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
3. Tejedor, Marcelo F.; Rosenberger, Alfred L. (2008). "A neotype for Homunculus patagonicus Ameghino, 1891, and a new interpretation of the taxon" (PDF). PaleoAnthropology (2008): 68–82. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
4. Jonathan M.G. Perry; Richard F. Kay; Sergio F. Vizcaíno; M. Susana Bargo (2014). "Oldest known cranium of a juvenile New World monkey (Early Miocene, Patagonia, Argentina): Implications for the taxonomy and the molar eruption pattern of early platyrrhines" (PDF). Journal of Human Evolution. 74: 67–81. Bibcode:2014JHumE..74...67P. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.03.009. hdl:10161/10782. PMID 25081638.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
5. Perry, J.M.G.; Cookea, S.B.; Runestad Connour, J.A.; Burgess, M.L.; Ruff, C.B. (2018). "Articular scaling and body mass estimation in platyrrhines and catarrhines: Modern variation and application to fossil anthropoids". Journal of Human Evolution. 115 (13): 20–35. Bibcode:2018JHumE.115...20P. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.008. PMID 29150186. S2CID 3545389.
6. Perry, Jonathan M.G.; Kay, Richard F.; Vizcaíno, Sergio F.; Bargo, M. Susana (September 2014). "Oldest known cranium of a juvenile New World monkey (Early Miocene, Patagonia, Argentina): Implications for the taxonomy and the molar eruption pattern of early platyrrhines". Journal of Human Evolution. 74: 67–81. Bibcode:2014JHumE..74...67P. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.03.009. hdl:10161/10782. PMID 25081638.
7. Silvestro, Daniele; Tejedor, Marcelo F; Serrano-Serrano, Martha L; Loiseau, Oriane; Rossier, Victor; Rolland, Jonathan; Zizka, Alexander; Höhna, Sebastian; Antonelli, Alexandre; Salamin, Nicolas (2019-01-01). Savolainen, Vincent (ed.). "Early Arrival and Climatically-Linked Geographic Expansion of New World Monkeys from Tiny African Ancestors". Systematic Biology. 68 (1): 78–92. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syy046. ISSN 1063-5157. PMC 6292484. PMID 29931325.
8. Lundeen, Ingrid K.; Kay, Richard F. (June 2022). "Unique nasal turbinal morphology reveals Homunculus patagonicus functionally converged on modern platyrrhine olfactory sensitivity". Journal of Human Evolution. 167: 103184. Bibcode:2022JHumE.16703184L. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103184. PMID 35462071. S2CID 248328939.
9. Li, Peishu; Morse, Paul E.; Kay, Richard F. (July 2020). "Dental topographic change with macrowear and dietary inference in Homunculus patagonicus". Journal of Human Evolution. 144: 102786. Bibcode:2020JHumE.14402786L. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102786. PMID 32402847.