| Rukwapithecus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Superfamily: | Hominoidea |
| Family: | †Dendropithecidae |
| Subfamily: | †Nyanzapithecinae |
| Genus: | †Rukwapithecus Stevenset al., 2013 |
| Species: | †R. fleaglei |
| Binomial name | |
| †Rukwapithecus fleaglei Stevenset al., 2013 | |
Rukwapithecus fleaglei, the only species of thegenusRukwapithecus, is a fossilprimate. Known from a single lower jaw preserving four teeth, it is interpreted as the earliesthominoid, a member of the group that includesgibbons,humans, and otherapes. It is known from theNsungwe Formation of south-western Tanzania, which dates to just over 25.2 million years ago. This area has also yielded the earlyOld World monkeyNsungwepithecus.Phylogenetic analysis places it within the groupNyanzapithecinae, related toRangwapithecus andNyanzapithecus.[1]