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Hispaniola monkey
Temporal range: Quaternary
Extinct (early 1500s[citation needed])
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Family: Pitheciidae
Subfamily: Pitheciinae
Tribe: †Xenotrichini
Genus: †Antillothrix
MacPhee, Horovitz, Arredondo, & Jimenez Vasquez, 1995
Species:
†A. bernensis
Binomial name
†Antillothrix bernensis
Rímoli, 1977
Synonyms
  • Saimiri bernensis

The Hispaniola monkey (Antillothrix bernensis) is an extinct primate that was endemic on the island of Hispaniola, in the present-day Dominican Republic. The species is thought to have gone extinct around the 16th century. The exact timing and cause of the extinction are unclear, but it is likely related to the settlement of Hispaniola by Europeans after 1492.[citation needed]

Description

[edit]

Horovitz and MacPhee[1] developed the hypothesis, first proposed by MacPhee et al.,[2] that all the Antillean monkeys (the others being the two Cuban monkey species of genus Paralouatta, and the Jamaican monkey, Xenothrix mcgregori) belonged to a monophyletic group linked most closely with the modern genus Callicebus. They later assigned the Antillean monkeys to the tribe Xenotrichini[3] – the sister group of the tribe Callicebini with extensive anatomical comparisons and by extending their parsimony analysis using PAUP*.[4] They maintained that the monophyly of the Antillean monkeys was still supported in the most parsimonious trees, but in slightly less parsimonious trees, Aotus appeared to be linked with Xenothrix.

Skull discovery

[edit]

In July 2009, Walter Pickel found a A. bernensis skull while diving in underwater caves. The skull was found in the La Jeringa Cave of Cotubanamá National Park. The skull, long bones and ribs were recovered by Walter Pickel and Curt Bowen in October 2009 under the supervision of the Dominican Republic and Alfred L. Rosenberger from Brooklyn College. The discovery supported the MacPhee et al. hypothesis of a monophyletic origin of the Antilles monkeys.[5] This 2009 discovery of the skull suggested that these primates were diurnal, due to their relatively smaller ocular orbits.[6]

New specimens published in 2024

[edit]

New specimens recovered in 2018 from Cueva Macho included four crania and three mandibles. Both a cranium and mandible exhibited absent wisdom teeth, which is rare in most primates. Though previously, hypotheses regarding smaller relative brain size than normal and sexual dimorphism had been posited, these new specimens evidence neither of these claims. Instead, the authors posit that Hispaniolan monkeys were "a morphologically variable but monomorphic species."[7]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Hispaniola monkey

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from Grokipedia
The Hispaniola monkey (Antillothrix bernensis) was a small, arboreal New World primate endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, resembling a capuchin monkey in size and adapted to forested habitats with a primarily frugivorous diet evidenced by its rounded teeth and reduced canines.[1][2][3] Fossils dating back over 1.3 million years confirm its ancient presence on the island, part of a distinct radiation of Greater Antillean monkeys that likely dispersed from South American mainland ancestors via oceanic rafting during the Miocene or Pliocene epochs.[2][1] The species became extinct approximately 400 years ago, coinciding with European colonization and the introduction of invasive species, predators, and habitat disruption, though direct human hunting may have contributed as indigenous Taíno accounts describe monkey consumption.[2][4] Recent discoveries of exceptionally preserved skeletal remains, including multiple individuals from owl-deposited accumulations in submerged caves, have revealed details of its sexual dimorphism, locomotion, and potential social behaviors, shedding light on its ecology before rapid post-Columbian faunal collapse across the Caribbean.[4][3] These findings underscore the unique evolutionary trajectory of island primates, isolated from continental competitors and predators, and highlight gaps in understanding prehistoric dispersal events despite phylogenetic ties to platyrrhine lineages.[1]

Taxonomy

Classification and etymology

Antillothrix bernensis is classified in the order Primates, suborder Haplorhini, infraorder Simiiformes, and parvorder Platyrrhini, the New World monkeys.[5] Its precise family-level assignment remains unresolved, with early descriptions aligning it with the Cebidae based on dental similarities to squirrel monkeys (Saimiri), while later craniodental and postcranial evidence indicates possible affinities to callicebines or more basal platyrrhine lineages, potentially supporting a unique clade for Greater Antillean primates distinct from mainland forms.[6][5] It forms part of the extinct insular radiation known informally as the Xenotrichini, alongside genera like Xenothrix from Jamaica and Paralouatta from Cuba.[7] The genus Antillothrix was erected in 1982 by MacPhee and Woods to accommodate fossils originally described as Saimiri bernensis by Rímoli in 1977 from subfossil remains in Dominican caves.[8] The name combines "Antilles," referencing the Caribbean islands of its endemism, with thrix (Greek for "hair"), evoking the primate's likely woolly or haired appearance typical of many platyrrhines.[9] The specific epithet bernensis derives from the original designation, possibly alluding to the type locality or associated collector in the Berna region or similar context of discovery on Hispaniola.[10] This reclassification distinguished it from mainland cebids, emphasizing its relictual, island-adapted morphology.[8]

Phylogenetic position

The Hispaniola monkey, Antillothrix bernensis, is an extinct member of the Platyrrhini, the clade encompassing all New World monkeys, with fossils dated from the Pleistocene to Holocene epochs, spanning approximately 1.3 million years ago to the late 16th century.[2] Initial assessments of its phylogenetic position, based on the first complete skull discovered in 2009 from a submerged cave in the Dominican Republic, highlighted cranial resemblances to living cebines (such as capuchins in the genus Cebus) but noted more primitive, less bunodont dental features, complicating definitive placement and suggesting possible affinities within Cebidae.[5] These early interpretations emphasized conservative traits relative to mainland platyrrhines, with dental morphology indicating a departure from the derived bunodonty of cebines, yet insufficient data for cladistic resolution among Antillean primates.[8] Subsequent mandibular evidence from associated fossils, analyzed in 2013, shifted interpretations toward Pitheciidae, the family including sakis, uakaris, and titis, based on shared lower dentition patterns such as reduced canine size and specific molar occlusal features aligning more closely with callicebines (e.g., titi monkeys in Callicebus or Plecturocebus) than with cebids, despite some retained primitive characters.[11] This reappraisal rejected prior cebine alliances, positing A. bernensis as a specialized insular offshoot within crown Pitheciidae, potentially representing a deep divergence from mainland lineages via trans-Atlantic rafting during the Miocene or Pliocene.[6] Recent total-evidence phylogenetic analyses incorporating craniodental, postcranial, and molecular calibration data for platyrrhines have corroborated this Pitheciidae placement, allying Antillothrix specifically with titi monkeys based on shared short canines, body size estimates around 1-2 kg, and ecological parallels like folivory, while underscoring its status as a non-monophyletic component of Greater Antillean primates alongside genera like Xenothrix (Jamaica) and Paralouatta (Cuba), each implying independent colonization events.[12] New 2024 craniodental specimens further refine this view, revealing variation consistent with pitheciid diversification rather than cebid convergence, though uncertainties persist due to limited postcranial integration in broad platyrrhine trees.[13] Unlike mainland pitheciids adapted to continental forests, A. bernensis exhibits insular conservatism, lacking extreme specializations seen in congeners, supporting its relict status without direct descendants in modern faunas.[4]

Discovery history

Early fossil finds

The first fossils attributable to Antillothrix bernensis were recovered in 1977 by Dominican paleontologist Renato Rímoli from Cueva de Berna, a dry limestone cave in the eastern Dominican Republic.[5] These consisted of fragmentary postcranial elements, including limb bones, along with limited dental material such as portions of an upper jaw with teeth, representing the initial evidence of an extinct endemic platyrrhine primate on Hispaniola.[5][14] Rímoli described the specimens as a new species of squirrel monkey (Saimiri bernensis), citing morphological similarities to the living genus Saimiri in features like small body size and dental proportions, though the material was too incomplete for definitive systematic placement at the time.[14][5] Subsequent collections in the late 1970s and 1980s from other dry caves on Hispaniola, such as sites near Samaná, yielded additional postcranial fragments, including vertebrae, phalanges, and tarsal bones, which reinforced the recognition of a distinct, small-bodied primate taxon but remained limited in scope, lacking cranial material for detailed anatomical comparison.[15] These early finds were initially dated to the Holocene epoch, under 10,000 years old, based on stratigraphic context in cave deposits associated with recent faunal remains.[2] In 1993, Ross MacPhee re-evaluated the holotype and paratypes, erecting the new genus Antillothrix to accommodate the species, emphasizing derived postcranial traits suggestive of a callitrichine-like or ateline affinity rather than close ties to Saimiri, and highlighting its relictual status as a relict lineage isolated on the island.[16] This reassessment drew on comparative analyses of the limited skeletal elements, which indicated a body mass estimate of 1–2 kg and adaptations potentially linked to arboreal locomotion, though interpretations were constrained by the fragmentary nature of the assemblage.[15][16] Early studies noted the fossils' association with extinct Caribbean fauna, including sloths and rodents, in cave sediments, but lacked direct geochronological data, leading to debates over the species' temporal range and phylogenetic origins prior to later submerged cave explorations.[5]

2009 skull discovery

In July 2009, cave diver Walter Pickel discovered a nearly complete juvenile cranium of Antillothrix bernensis, an extinct platyrrhine primate endemic to Hispaniola, within the flooded Monkey Room chamber of an underwater cave system in the Dominican Republic.[5] The specimen, recovered by a team including researchers from Indiana University, represents the first associated craniodental remains for this species, previously known only from fragmentary postcranial elements such as an ankle bone and isolated teeth.[8] This find, dated to the middle Holocene (approximately 4,000–6,000 years before present), provided critical morphological data absent from earlier subfossil records.[5] The cranium exhibits features diagnostic of A. bernensis, including a short rostrum, rounded braincase, and dental arcade with low-crowned molars adapted for folivory, distinguishing it from mainland platyrrhines and supporting its classification as a relict lineage isolated in the Greater Antilles.[5] Preliminary analyses indicated similarities to South American atelids in cranial proportions but with unique autapomorphies, such as reduced prognathism, challenging prior hypotheses of close affinity to howler monkeys and suggesting deeper divergence.[8] The discovery's context in a karstic cave system, preserved under anaerobic conditions, underscores the value of speleological exploration for Quaternary vertebrates in the Caribbean, where erosion and sea-level changes have obscured surface fossils.[5] Subsequent descriptions confirmed the skull's completeness, with intact zygomatic arches and basicranium, enabling initial phylogenetic assessments that positioned Antillothrix as basal among Antillean primates, potentially rafting from northern South America during the Oligocene-Miocene.[8] No associated postcrania were initially reported with the cranium, though the site's subfossil assemblage includes other extinct mammals, indicating a late-surviving insular fauna predating human arrival.[5] This specimen has informed debates on Caribbean primate extinction timelines, with evidence pointing to persistence until the Holocene rather than Pleistocene extirpation.[8]

2024 new specimens

In 2024, a team of researchers described newly recovered fossil specimens of the Hispaniola monkey (Antillothrix bernensis), an extinct platyrrhine primate endemic to Hispaniola, expanding the known cranial sample from previous fragmentary material.[13] These specimens, primarily from Pleistocene-Holocene deposits, include four additional crania and three mandibles excavated from the submerged passages of the Cueva Macho cave system in the Dominican Republic, supplemented by one adult mandible from a distinct locality.[3] The fossils were retrieved through collaborative efforts involving cave divers navigating flooded karst networks, where rapid deposition in anaerobic conditions preserved articulated elements despite submersion.[17] The new crania exhibit consistent features such as a deep glabella depression, short canines relative to body size, and a diastema between the canine and first premolar, with some individuals lacking the third molar (M3).[18] Mandibular morphology shows a deep posterior ramus and robust corpus, indicative of variation possibly linked to age or sex, though sample sizes limit definitive dimorphism assessments.[19] Collectively, these additions bring the total cataloged crania to seven and mandibles to five, providing the first substantial dataset for quantitative analysis of intraspecific variation in this taxon.[13] Preservation quality varies, with some elements showing adhering matrix or minor erosion from water exposure, but overall integrity supports micro-CT scanning for internal structures like sinus volumes and tooth root morphologies.[4] The discoveries underscore the value of speleological exploration in Antillean paleontology, as similar underwater sites have yielded prior Antillothrix remains, though recovery challenges from depth and low visibility persist.[3]

Physical description

Cranial and dental morphology

The cranium of Antillothrix bernensis is comparable in size to that of a small capuchin monkey (Cebus), with an estimated endocranial capacity of 58 cm³ and a smoothly vaulted braincase resembling modern cebines.[5] It features a short face, close-set eyes, steeply angled nuchal plane, and narrow fronto-nasal pillar, exhibiting a mix of primitive and derived traits relative to living platyrrhines.[5] Specific measurements from the first described skull include a maximum length of 78.75 mm (incomplete), interorbital breadth of 6.62 mm, biorbital breadth of 44.38 mm, orbital height of 20.50 mm, orbital width of 18.51 mm, post-orbital constriction of 37.48 mm, bimolar width of 25.50 mm, and nasion–basion length of 46.56 mm.[5] Additional crania reveal an elongated braincase, strong temporal lines, vertically oriented nuchal plane, deep glabella depression, and elongated orbits, with individual variation in features such as a pronounced diastema and short canines.[20][21] Dental morphology shows proportions similar to Cebus and Saimiri, but with less bunodonty and more cristodont crowns than Cebus, indicating a more primitive condition.[5] Upper premolars (P³ and P⁴) are bucco-lingually wide with shallow basins and large flaring protocone sidewalls; P⁴ is notably broader relative to length, possessing three roots unlike the type specimen's two.[5] Molars exhibit distinct trigon cusps, strong crests, a prominent distal cingulum, and hypocone development, with M¹ featuring a distinct hypocone and M² showing reduction or absence of this cusp, a heteromorphic pattern unique among platyrrhines.[5] Measurements include P³ (length 3.6 mm, breadth 6.1 mm), P⁴ (3.6 mm, 6.6 mm), M¹ (5.3 mm, 7.1 mm), and M² (4.8 mm, 6.8 mm).[5] Lower premolars are heteromorphic in size, shape, cusp, and basin development.[22] Upper incisors are broad and spatulate but relatively small and short, resembling atelids more than sclerocarpic platyrrhines; some specimens lack third molars.[23][21] The mandible is deep posteriorly, with evidence of short canines and limited dietary specialization beyond folivory or frugivory inferred from rounded teeth and small canines.[21][11]

Postcranial evidence and body size

Postcranial remains of Antillothrix bernensis are scarce, consisting primarily of isolated elements including a calcaneus, femur, ulna, and possibly humeral fragments recovered from Pleistocene-Holocene cave deposits in the Dominican Republic.[7][5] The calcaneus exhibits features consistent with arboreal quadrupedalism, such as a relatively elongated tuber and reduced peroneal process, aligning with platyrrhine adaptations for grasping and leaping in forested environments.[24] The femur, described from a specimen associated with cranial material, is notably short and robust relative to body size, with a pronounced trochanteric shelf and reduced neck length, suggesting enhanced stability for weight-bearing during suspension or climbing rather than rapid quadrupedal progression.[5][8] The ulna displays increased robusticity in the olecranon process and shaft diameter compared to similarly sized cebids like Cebus, indicating greater leverage for forearm flexion and potential use in below-branch foraging or clinging behaviors typical of heavier-bodied arboreal primates.[5] These traits collectively imply a heavily built, cautious arboreal locomotor repertoire, distinct from the lighter, more agile forms of many mainland platyrrhines, possibly reflecting island-specific adaptations to limited canopy complexity or predation pressures.[8] Body mass estimates for A. bernensis derive from regressions using long-bone cross-sectional areas and dimensions, yielding values averaging approximately 2.2 kg, with a range of 2.4–3.4 kg across specimens when accounting for sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic variation.[25][13] Earlier dental-based predictions suggested higher masses up to 4.7 kg, but postcranial data indicate smaller, more cat-like proportions (head-body length ~30 cm), comparable to small capuchins but with denser skeletal build.[5][26] This size places A. bernensis within the mid-range for Antillean primates, smaller than the semiterrestrial Paralouatta (~9 kg) but larger than some mainland callitrichines, consistent with insular gigantism relative to potential rafting ancestors.[27][9]

Paleobiology

Habitat and locomotion

Fossil evidence places Antillothrix bernensis in the tropical forests of Hispaniola during the middle Pleistocene to Holocene, with specimens recovered from karst cave deposits in the eastern Dominican Republic, including sites like those near Laguna Blanca, and the Tiburon Peninsula in Haiti dated to approximately 1.3 million years ago or younger.[2][5] These localities, often submerged or deep cave systems preserving subfossil remains alongside other endemic mammals such as sloths and rodents, imply wooded insular environments with sufficient canopy structure to support arboreal primates, as reconstructed from associated paleoenvironmental proxies like pollen and faunal assemblages indicating humid, forested conditions rather than open or arid settings.[28][29] Postcranial remains, including elements of the humerus, femur, ulna, and tibia, reveal locomotor adaptations centered on arboreal quadrupedalism typical of medium-sized platyrrhines (estimated body mass 2–5 kg), with pronograde postures facilitating above-branch locomotion in forested canopies.[30][5] The distal humerus exhibits articular features akin to those in generalized New World monkeys, supporting weight-bearing during quadrupedal progression and modest climbing.[30] Femoral and ulnar morphology further indicates capabilities for clambering and vertical support, potentially including limited suspensory behaviors in complex branch networks, while the distal tibia—with its deep fibular facet, balanced trochlear borders, and narrowed medial malleolus—suggests sagittal plane limb excursions optimized for leaping and rapid traversal of discontinuous arboreal substrates rather than specialized terrestrial or highly suspensory locomotion.[30][7] Limited available material tempers definitive reconstructions, but the overall profile aligns with an ecologically conservative, forest-dwelling primate rather than one exhibiting extreme island-induced modifications like semiterrestriality seen in Cuban congeners.[7][30]

Diet and ecology

Dental microwear analysis of Antillothrix bernensis molars indicates a mixed-feeding diet consisting primarily of fruits and leaves, with features such as low relief and scratched surfaces suggesting consumption of tougher foliage alongside softer pulp.[31] Lower molar morphology, characterized by rounded cusps, moderate shearing crests, and reduced hypocones, further supports folivory-frugivory rather than heavy reliance on hard objects or insects, distinguishing it from more specialized mainland platyrrhines.[31] [5] Incisor geometry in available specimens reinforces this ecological profile, with low relief and geometry scores aligning with mixed feeders that process abrasive leaves and fruits, rather than folivore specialists or frugivores exclusive to ripe produce.[32] Small canines and bunodont cheek teeth in newly described crania from Pleistocene-Holocene deposits corroborate a diet dominated by fruit, potentially supplemented by young leaves or buds in seasonal forests, reflecting adaptation to the Antilles' insular resource variability.[13] [3] Ecologically, A. bernensis likely filled a mid-canopy niche as a medium-sized (approximately 5-7 kg) arboreal primate, exploiting patchy fruit resources in Hispaniola's karstic woodlands, with limited evidence for terrestriality or competition from sympatric mammals like rodents and sloths.[2] This dietary flexibility may have buffered against periodic scarcity, though fossil associations in submerged caves suggest reliance on stable, humid microhabitats amid the island's tropical climate fluctuations.[4]

Evolutionary origins

Rafting hypothesis and South American ancestry

The Hispaniola monkey (Antillothrix bernensis) belongs to a monophyletic radiation of extinct platyrrhine primates endemic to the Greater Antilles, with phylogenetic analyses indicating derivation from archaic South American ancestors predating the diversification of modern Amazonian platyrrhine communities.[5] Dental and cranial morphology, including primitive features such as sectorial lower premolars and reduced molars akin to early Miocene Patagonian forms like Soriacebus ameghinorum, supports ancestry from northern South American platyrrhines rather than multiple independent colonizations or derivation from crown platyrrhine clades like cebines or pitheciines.[1] This contrasts with hypotheses of close affinity to extant genera such as Aotus or Callicebus, though cladistic placements often recover Antillean genera as sister to pitheciids or atelids in broader platyrrhine trees.[8] The rafting hypothesis posits that ancestors of Antillothrix and related Antillean primates (Paralouatta from Cuba, Xenothrix from Jamaica, and Insulacebus from Haiti) dispersed from northern South America to the isolated Greater Antilles via overwater transport on vegetation mats or debris rafts, facilitated by ocean currents and storm events.[1] This mechanism aligns with the geological isolation of the Antilles since the late Eocene, ruling out vicariance via continental drift, and is corroborated by the Early Miocene timing of the oldest Antillean primate fossils, such as a talus attributed to Paralouatta marianae from Cuba dated to approximately 14–18 million years ago.[8] Phylogenetic bracketing and biogeographic modeling favor a "sweepstakes" dispersal—rare, stochastic events rather than frequent crossings—potentially involving a single or few founder populations that underwent insular radiation, with inter-island colonization (e.g., Jamaica-Hispaniola) via temporary Eocene landspans like GAARlandia but primarily oceanic for initial mainland-Antilles transit.[8] Competing vicariance models invoking Eocene-Oligocene land bridges have been challenged by molecular clocks and fossil paucity in proto-Antillean deposits, emphasizing rafting's role in primate biogeography akin to other transoceanic dispersals in caviomorph rodents.[1] Evidence from postcranial remains, including humeri and tali, further ties Antillean forms to South American platyrrhine locomotor adaptations, such as arboreal quadrupedalism, but with derived insular traits like increased body mass retention in adults, suggesting adaptive evolution post-rafting from smaller mainland progenitors.[33] While some studies propose multilineage origins requiring multiple rafting episodes, parsimony favors a monophyletic incursion from a pre-Miocene South American stem group, with Antillothrix and Insulacebus forming a Hispaniolan subclade exhibiting convergent similarities to mainland howler monkeys in size and ecology.[1][8]

Relations to other Antillean primates

The extinct primates of Hispaniola, including Antillothrix bernensis and Insulacebus toussaintiana, belong to the tribe Xenotrichini, a monophyletic clade of Greater Antillean platyrrhines that also encompasses Xenothrix mcgregori from Jamaica and Paralouatta varonai from Cuba.[34][35] This radiation represents a distinct lineage within the Callicebinae subfamily, positioned as sister to extant titi monkeys (Callicebus, Cheracebus, and Plecturocebus spp.), based on both morphological and molecular evidence from ancient DNA extracted from Jamaican Xenothrix specimens dated to approximately 1,700–2,000 years ago.[34][1] Phylogenetic analyses indicate that Insulacebus toussaintiana, recovered from Late Quaternary deposits in Haiti, shares derived cranial features—such as a shortened rostrum and robust zygomatic arches—with Xenothrix mcgregori, supporting a close inter-island affinity between Hispaniolan-Haitian and Jamaican lineages within Xenotrichini.[22][1] In contrast, Antillothrix bernensis exhibits craniodental similarities to Paralouatta varonai, including enlarged incisors and reduced molars adapted for folivory, which total-evidence parsimony trees place as sequential branches in a clade sister to Xenothrix and Insulacebus.[35][36] These relationships suggest multiple dispersal events across the Greater Antilles following initial rafting from mainland South America during the Oligocene–Miocene, rather than a single vicariant origin.[35][5] Divergences within Xenotrichini are estimated to have occurred after the group's isolation, with Antillothrix and Insulacebus representing endemic Hispaniolan adaptations distinct from but allied to Jamaican and Cuban forms; for instance, postcranial evidence shows Antillothrix with suspensory traits akin to Xenothrix, differing from the more quadrupedal Paralouatta.[7][13] Ancient DNA corroborates the callicebine placement but highlights morphological convergence in Antillean taxa, such as bipedal propensities in Xenothrix, which may not reflect direct homology with Hispaniolan species.[34] Overall, the clade's unity challenges earlier hypotheses of independent mainland derivations, emphasizing shared ancestry and subsequent island-specific evolution.[35][1]

Extinction

Timing of disappearance

The disappearance of Hispaniola's endemic primates, including Antillothrix bernensis and Insulacebus toussaintiana, occurred during the late Holocene, though precise dating remains elusive due to the scarcity of terminal-age fossils amenable to radiocarbon analysis.[1] The youngest directly associated dates for A. bernensis derive from specimens in Cueva de Berna, yielding a calibrated age of approximately 3850 ± 150 years before present (BP), establishing a minimum persistence into the mid-Holocene around 1900 BCE.[5] [8] This date, obtained from stratigraphic context rather than the primate remains themselves, underscores that the species likely survived beyond this point, as evidenced by the broader pattern of Quaternary subfossils across the Greater Antilles indicating late survival of insular primates.[22] Comparative data from congeneric Antillean taxa support an extinction timeframe extending into the terminal Holocene, potentially within the last millennium before European contact. For instance, the Jamaican xenotrichine Xenothrix mcgregori yields a direct radiocarbon date of 1477 ± 34 calibrated years BP (ca. 474–566 CE), marking the most recent dated occurrence of any Greater Antillean monkey and implying analogous persistence for Hispaniolan forms amid shared anthropogenic pressures.[37] Recent analyses of A. bernensis fossils from Dominican caves confirm deposition within the last 10,000 years, aligning with a late Quaternary extinction horizon but without narrower resolution.[3] Paleontological consensus attributes the final disappearance to pulses of human-mediated disturbance following Archaic Age settlement of Hispaniola around 6000–4000 BP, intensified by Taíno agricultural expansion and culminating around or shortly after European arrival in 1492 CE, though no eyewitness accounts document living populations.[8] The absence of unambiguous historical records, combined with the rapid extirpation of co-occurring endemic fauna like ground sloths by the 16th century, suggests A. bernensis and I. toussaintiana vanished no later than this period, potentially as early as the late prehistoric era.[2] Ongoing subfossil recovery may refine this chronology, but current evidence precludes claims of survival into colonial times without supporting dates.[38]

Potential causes and debates

The extinction of the Hispaniola monkey, Antillothrix bernensis, is dated to the Holocene epoch, within the last 10,000 years, coinciding temporally with human colonization of the island.[3] [4] Fossil evidence, including subfossil remains from Dominican caves, indicates persistence into the late Quaternary but absence in post-Columbian records, suggesting disappearance around or shortly after European contact in 1492, though pre-Columbian Taíno settlement from circa 600 AD may have initiated pressures.[39] Primary hypotheses attribute extinction to anthropogenic factors, including direct hunting by humans, habitat deforestation for agriculture, and competition or predation from introduced species such as rats and dogs accompanying settlers.[39] Parallel rodent extinctions on Hispaniola, unsupported by climate proxies but aligned with human arrival timelines, bolster arguments for human-driven megafaunal losses across the Antilles, rejecting earlier Pleistocene climate fluctuation theories as insufficiently evidenced for late-surviving primates.[40] Ecological vulnerabilities inferred from cranial and dental morphology—such as monomorphic body size (up to 5 pounds), low canine dimorphism implying minimal male-male competition, and rounded molars suited to a soft-fruit diet—likely amplified susceptibility to resource scarcity or localized predation, rendering small family groups ill-equipped for rapid environmental shifts.[21] Debates persist over the relative roles of indigenous versus European humans, with some evidence of Taíno overhunting or land clearance potentially stressing populations, contrasted by radiometric dating showing A. bernensis survival into the early Holocene predating intensive European impacts.[22] Cave subfossils exhibit jaw pathologies, including missing muscle attachment scars akin to owl pellet processing, implicating predation by extinct large Ornimegalonyx-like owls as a contributory factor, though mass deposition patterns argue against it as the primary driver of range-wide extirpation; random arboreal falls into sinkholes are deemed improbable for clustered remains.[4] These findings underscore insular endemics' fragility to apex predator loss or mesopredator release post-human arrival, but lack of ancient DNA or finer chronological resolution limits causal attribution, prompting calls for integrated zooarchaeological and paleoenvironmental data to disentangle biotic versus anthropogenic forcings.[3]

References

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  2. Paleontologists Find 1.3-Million-Year-Old Fossil of Hispaniola Monkey
  3. Study of monkey fossils found in cave sheds light on the animals ...
  4. Study of monkey fossils found in a flooded cave sheds light on the ...
  5. First skull of Antillothrix bernensis, an extinct relict monkey from the ...
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  23. Newly-discovered craniomandibular remains preserve the first ...
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  39. First skull of Antillothrix bernensis, an extinct relict monkey ... - Journals
  40. Rodent extinctions in Hispaniola may have been caused by humans
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