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Morphological Characteristics, Growth, and Aging in Japanese Macaques

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The Japanese Macaques

Part of the book series: Primatology Monographs ((PrimMono,volume 0))

Abstract

The Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) is one species of the genus Macaca, which is now distributed in lower-latitude areas in Asia, excepting the Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus, which is distributed to Northwestern Africa). The genus Macaca is phylogenetically close to mangabeys and baboons (tribe Papionini; Fleagle 1999), has a medium-sized stout body, and lives either arboreally or terrestrially. According to Delson (1980), the geographical evolutionary history of Macaca is as follows: the genus arose 7–8 million years ago (MYA) in northern Africa, and the ancestor migrated to Eurasia via the Middle East around 5–6 MYA. Although the immigrants to southern Europe remained there for a long time, all of them are considered to be close to the extant Barbary macaque, that is, a conspecific or closely related species; they became extinct several 10,000 years ago. Other populations dispersed to Asia and flourished adaptationally but, because of the paucity of fossils, their exact evolutionary history has not yet been elucidated. On the basis of the supposed macaque fossil Macaca palaeoindicus (2.5–3.0 MYA) from India, the genus Macaca migrated from the Middle East to India along the seashore (southern course). However, a northern course cannot be denied because the majority of macaque fossils excavated have been from China or northern Vietnam. In particular, fossils from Yushe, Shanxi Province (ca. 5.5 MYA) suggest that a macaque ancestor migrated from Europe via Central Asia to China and then dispersed to Southeast and South Asia (Takai 2005).

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to the editors, Drs. N. Nakagawa and M. Nakamichi, for their suggestions and revision. This study is financially supported by funds from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Nos. 16405014, 20255006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Evolutionary Morphology Section, Department of Evolution and Phylogeny, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan

    Yuzuru Hamada & Ayumi Yamamoto

Authors
  1. Yuzuru Hamada
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  2. Ayumi Yamamoto
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Correspondence to Yuzuru Hamada .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Naofumi Nakagawa D.Sc (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

  2. Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, 1-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Masayuki Nakamichi Ph.D. (Professor) (Professor)

  3. Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-sekiden-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan

    Hideki Sugiura D.Sc (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

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Hamada, Y., Yamamoto, A. (2010). Morphological Characteristics, Growth, and Aging in Japanese Macaques. In: Nakagawa, N., Nakamichi, M., Sugiura, H. (eds) The Japanese Macaques. Primatology Monographs, vol 0. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-53886-8_2

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