Final answer:
The Proconsul is an important genus of early Miocene apes that aids in understanding primate evolution, characterized by features like lack of a tail and a 2.1.2.3 dental formula.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Proconsul is a genus of early Miocene proconsuloid apes that serves as a significant reference point for understanding primate evolution. Proconsul fossils, including those of species like Proconsul africanus, offer insights into the locomotion, dental patterns, and ecological adaptations of Miocene apes.
One key characteristic of Proconsulids is their lack of a tail, an ape trait, and their 2.1.2.3 dental formula typical of Old World monkeys and apes. Other Miocene apes like Sivapithecus show similarities to modern orangutans, with fossils mostly found throughout Asia.
The study of these Miocene fossils, alongside those from Oligocene, Pliocene, and even earlier epochs, sheds light on the lineage leading to modern humans and our closest living primate relatives.