proconsul

views updated May 23 2018

pro·con·sul / prōˈkänsəl/ • n. 1. a governor of a province in ancient Rome, having much of the authority of a consul. 2. a governor or deputy consul of a modern colony.DERIVATIVES: pro·con·su·lar / -ˈkäns(y)ələr/ adj.pro·con·su·late / -ˈkäns(y)ələt/ n.pro·con·sul·ship / -ship/ n.

proconsul

views updated May 18 2018

proconsul governor of an ancient Roman province XIV; governor of a modern colony, etc. XIX. — L. prōconsul, for prō consule (one acting) for the consul; see PRO-1, CONSUL.
So proconsular XVII. — L. prōconsulāris. Similarly propraetor XVI. — L., for prō prætōre.

Proconsul

views updated May 23 2018

Proconsul A genus of extinct apes known from fossil remains, 50 million years old, found mostly in Kenya and assigned to the species P. africanus. A find made in 1948 was the first discovery of a skull of Miocene ape. It is believed that Proconsul was similar and possibly closely related to the genus Dryopithecus.

Proconsul

views updated May 29 2018

Pro·con·sul / prōˈkänsəl/ • n. a fossil hominoid (genus Proconsul, family Pongidae) primate found in Lower Miocene deposits in East Africa, one of the last common ancestors of both humans and the great apes.

proconsul

views updated Jun 08 2018

proconsul a governor of a province in ancient Rome, having much of the authority of a consul.

In 1933, the name Proconsul was given to a fossil hominoid primate found in Lower Miocene deposits in East Africa, one of the last common ancestors of both humans and the great apes.

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