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Rhesus Macaque skull (juvenile)

Macaca mulatta

Description:

Found this monkey skull under a tree, deep in the jungle. Photos 1 & 2 as it was found Photos 3 & 4 after cleaning it up

1 Species ID Suggestions

Gina423
Gina423 11 years ago
Rhesus Macaque (juvenile)
Macaca mulatta Rhesus macaque


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27 Comments (1–25)

pamsai
pamsai 10 years ago

hehehe Shekai, quite the philosopher! Thanks...

shekainah d. alaban
shekainah d. alaban 10 years ago

What's in our head now, is what it is before. What it is now, is what in our head will become.

pamsai
pamsai 10 years ago

and another belated thank you to RickBohler for his cryptic comment!!

RickBohler
RickBohler 11 years ago

:)

pamsai
pamsai 11 years ago

belated thanks RickBohler. No internet connection where I have been!

RickBohler
RickBohler 11 years ago

AWESOME find...great shots!

pamsai
pamsai 11 years ago

thanks Gerardo. We literally stumbled on it under a tree, mostly hidden under soil and leaves, just the top part of the skull exposed.

sanmiggums
sanmiggums 11 years ago

Holy moly

pamsai
pamsai 11 years ago

thanks to Jakubko, S Frazier, Argy Bee and Leuba, Gina423, gilma, and sarahaw1981.

Gerardo Aizpuru
Gerardo Aizpuru 11 years ago

Wonderful find great series :)

pamsai
pamsai 11 years ago

Hahaha, live and learn!

Gina423
Gina423 11 years ago

No problem. By postcrania I mean bones other than the skull. Sorry I was a bit too technical with my analysis.

pamsai
pamsai 11 years ago

Sorry I didn't get a photo of the back of the skull, but that appeared to be complete, no obvious injuries.

Gina423
Gina423 11 years ago

I don't see very much trauma to the skull, so any perimortem injuries must have happened to the postcrania, which we unfortunately don't have. I don't know much about the area that this macaque was found, but common predators of macaques in SE Asia range from raptors, crocodiles, snakes, tigers, leopards, even large dogs and weasels. He could have been plucked up by a bird or could have had his neck snapped by a snake or a cat. Usually the brain is good pickens for eagles, and I don't see any of the trademark talon marks on the face and eye sockets, so I'm inclined to rule that out.

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 11 years ago

Gina,what do you think was he cause of death for this Adolescent?Too much monkey business?

LeanneGardner
LeanneGardner 11 years ago

Great find Pam!

DespinaTsafetopoulou
DespinaTsafetopoulou 11 years ago

Amazing find! Congrats, Pamsai!

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 11 years ago

Great info Gina423. Thanks.

sarahaw1981
sarahaw1981 11 years ago

Great sighting :-)

Gina423
Gina423 11 years ago

You confirmed my suspicions then. This is a rhesus macaque, and a juvenile at that. The canine that is left in its mouth is not broken, but underdeveloped, and the skull sutures are cracked more along the suture lines because the little guy's skull was still fusing shut. Compare the male, female and juvenile macaque skulls here for yourself: http://www.cmnh.org/site/ResearchandColl...

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 11 years ago

Interesting find !

pamsai
pamsai 11 years ago

Unfortunately I am back in India. Didn't think to photograph the underside! But the only monkeys I saw around Angkor Wat were Rhesus.

What a great find, congratulations. Now, can someone ID this one!?

Gina423
Gina423 11 years ago

I study primates. If you could post a photo of the underside of the skull, specifically of the teeth, I could get a better idea of what kind of primate it is. Unfortunately, its canines are broken off/missing, which would be a dead giveaway for me.

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 11 years ago

Fantastic Pam. Do you know what species were around there?

pamsai
Spotted by
pamsai

Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Spotted on Mar 10, 2013
Submitted on Mar 15, 2013

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