In New 'Short Talks,' Plavcan Discusses Nanopithecus Browni, a New Species of Monkey

University Relations

Michael Plavcan

"It turned out to be a particularly good place to get fossilized if you died," Michael Plavcan says in a new episode of Short Talks From the Hill, a research podcast of the University of Arkansas.

Plavcan, professor of anthropology, is talking about Kanapoi, the famous paleo site in East Africa where he and colleagues discovered Nanopithecus browni, a new species of monkey that lived in Kenya, and perhaps eastern Africa, 4.2 million years ago.

As with any new species, the discovery of Nanopithecus browni is important on its own, but in this case, the discovery bears further significance due to the location of the animal's fossil remains. As Plavcan explains, finding the Nanopithecus tooth at Kanapoi, only a few feet from the fossil remains of hominins, complicates the story of guenon evolution. It demonstrates that these monkeys were probably living across wider swaths of Africa, and in more varied environments, than previously thought.

To listen to Plavcan talk about the discovery of Nanopithecus browni, go to ResearchFrontiers.uark.edu, the home of research news at the University of Arkansas, or visit the Short Talks program page at KUAF.com.

Short Talks From the Hill highlights research and scholarly work at the University of Arkansas. Each segment features a university researcher discussing his or her work. Previous podcasts can be found under the Multimedia link at ResearchFrontiers.uark.edu.

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