ÇORAKYERLER

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Çorakyerler, Turkey

8.7 - 7.4 Ma

RHOI supported ongoing field research at the late Miocene Çorakyerler locality to the northeast (NE) corner of the Çankiri basin in central Anatolia. The field team, led by Dr. Güleç, discovered adult maxillae and partial mandibles of a hominoid primate recognized as a new species of Ouranopithecus, a Eurasian hominoid that survived well into the late Miocene. This species, Ouranopithecus turkae (Güleç et al. 2007), is distinguised from its sister taxon and likely ancestor Ouranopithecus macedoniensis by a suite of dentognathic features, prominent of which are an enlarged male postcanine dentition relative to other Miocene apes, suggesting an open, dry environmnent.