Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 79. (Budapest 1987)
Kordos, L.: Description and reconstruction of the skull of Rudapithecus hungaricus Kretzoi (Mammalia)
ANNALES HISTORTCO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 79. Budapest, 1987 p. 77-88. Description and reconstruction of the skull of Rudapithecus hungaricus Kretzoi (Mammalia) by L. KORDOS, Budapest L. KORDOS : Description and reconstruction of the skull of Rudapithecus hungaricus Kretzoi (Mammalia). — Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. hung. 1987 79: 77-88. Abstract — In 1985 the skull fragments of a 10 myr old Rudapithecus hungaricus (RUD-77) were excavated at the Rudabánya locality (NE Hungary). Extremely well preserved and undeformed parts of the find are the frontal bone, the infraorbital region, the zygomatic bone and a part of the bilateral upper toothrow. From chronological points of view RUD-77 is the third oldest skull find within the process of the well-known evolution of the hominids. Description of the finds and the first phylogenetic conclusions based on them are given. With 10 figures. History of the investigations From the Lower Pannonian (Late Miocene, Early Vallesian, 10-11 myr) lignitiferous clay at Rudabánya (NE Hungary) 75 items of Primates were excavated between 1967 and 1978, and some of them have already been described (KRETZOI 1969, 1975, 1976ab, WOLPOFF 1980; XIROTIRIS & HEMKE 1981 ; MORBECK 1983). In the course of the preliminary examination, themain trends of the associated fauna their biostratigraphical and palaeoecological aspects (KRETZOI et al. 1976), and also their palaeogeographical conditions (KORDOS 1982, 1985) were already revealed. Among the Primates four taxa were described and distinguished by KRETZOI as follow: Pliopithecus (Anapithecus ) hernyaki KRETZOI, Rudapithecus hungaricus KRETZOI, Bodvapithecus altipalatus KRETZOI and the Rangwapithecus (Ataxopithecus ) serus KRETZOI. In the course of the excavations led by the present author from 1978 on wards, first a Pliopithecus tooth (RUD-76), then also at the same locality (No. II.), under a large fossil root, remains of skull fragments of a Rudapithecus (RUD-77) were found by G. Hernyák in 1985. Following this discovery, Fig. 1. The excavation profile of the original site of RUD-77 skull (photo L. Kordos)
