biology

Ultrapithecus

Ultrapithecus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ultrapithecus rather than just read about it. In short: Ultrapithecus is an extinct genus of oldfieldthomasiid notoungulate that lived during the Middle Eocene of what is now Argentina. Description This genus is mostly known from its dentition, and a detailed reconstruction is impossible.

Key takeaways

Ultrapithecus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ultrapithecus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ultrapithecus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ultrapithecus is an extinct genus of oldfieldthomasiid notoungulate that lived during the Middle Eocene of what is now Argentina.

Description This genus is mostly known from its dentition, and a detailed reconstruction is impossible. It can be supposed that Ultrapithecus was, like its better known relatives, similar in size and appearance with a modern marmot. Its dentition consisted of low-crowned (brachydont) teeth. The molars were devoid of mesostyle, while the premolars lacked the fold of the metacone.

Classification The genus Ultrapithecus was first described in 1901 by Florentino Ameghino, based on fossil remains found in Argentine terrains dated from the end of the Middle Eocene. Ameghino described two species, Ultrapithecus rutilans and U. rusticulus, and thought that this genus was an archaic primate, hence its genus name, Ultrapithecus, meaning "monkey from the other side", referring to its discovery in South America instead of the Old World. Ultrapithecus was subsequently placed within the order Notoungulata, and the two species are considered synonyms, with U. rutilans taking precedence. Ultrapithecus has historically been placed with the family Oldfieldthomasiidae, but more recent studies tends to indicate that this family was paraphyletic, with Ultrapithecus being a member of an Eocene adaptive radiation of archaic notoungulates, nested at the basis of the suborder Typotheria. It seems to have been closely related with the genus Kibenikhoria.

References

F. Ameghino. 1901. Notices préliminaires sur des ongulés nouveaux des terrains crétacés de Patagonie [Preliminary notes on new ungulates from the Cretaceous terrains of Patagonia]. Boletin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Córdoba 16:349-429 G. G. Simpson. 1967. The beginning of the age of mammals in South America. Part II. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 137:1-260 R. Cifelli. 1985. Biostratigraphy of the Casamayoran, Early Eocene of Patagonia. American Museum Novitates 2820:1-26

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ultrapithecus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ultrapithecus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ultrapithecus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ultrapithecus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ultrapithecus

In research: Ultrapithecus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ultrapithecus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ultrapithecus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Eocene mammals of South America, Fossil taxa described in 1901, Fossils of Argentina, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ultrapithecus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ultrapithecus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ultrapithecus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ultrapithecus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ultrapithecus in simple terms?

Ultrapithecus is an extinct genus of oldfieldthomasiid notoungulate that lived during the Middle Eocene of what is now Argentina. Description This genus is mostly known from its dentition, and a detailed reconstruction is impossible.

Why does Ultrapithecus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ultrapithecus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ultrapithecus.