Pliopithecus

Pliopithecus is a genus of extinct primates of the Miocene. It was discovered in 1837 by Édouard Lartet (1801–1871) in France, with fossils subsequently discovered in Switzerland, Slovakia and Spain.

Pliopithecus
Temporal range: Miocene
Mandible fragment of Pliopithecus antiquus from Sansan, France; cast from Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: †Pliopithecidae
Subfamily: †Pliopithecinae
Genus: †Pliopithecus
Gervais, 1849
Paleospecies
  • †Pliopithecus antiquus
  • †Pliopithecus bii
  • †Pliopithecus canmatensis
  • †Pliopithecus piveteaui
  • †Pliopithecus platyodon
  • †Pliopithecus vindobonensis
  • †Pliopithecus zhanxiangi
Pliopithecus antiquus jaw seen from above

Pliopithecus' had a similar size and form to modern humans, to which it may be an ancestor of homo sapiens, although it is probably a direct ancestor. It had long limbs, hands, and feet, and may have been able to brachiate, swinging between trees using its arms. Unlike gibbons, it had a short tail, and only partial stereoscopic vision.[1]

They appear to have originated in Asia and extended their range into Europe between 20 and 17 million years ago.[2]

Begun and Harrison list the following species within the genus:[2]

  • Pliopithecus antiquus
  • Pliopithecus bii
  • Pliopithecus canmatensis
  • Pliopithecus platyodon
  • Pliopithecus vindobonensis
  • Pliopithecus zhanxiangi

Pliopithecus antiquus has been referred to previously as P. piveteaui.[3] P. vindobonensis is sometimes considered to be a separate genus, Epipliopithecus.[4][2] Anapithecus is a close relative and was initially considered a subgenus of Pliopithecus.

References
  1. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 291. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
  2. Harrison, Terry (2012). "Chapter 20 Catarrhine Origins". In Begun, David (ed.). A Companion To Paleoanthropology. Wiley Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-118-33237-5. Archived from the original on 2013.
  3. "Pliopithecus antiquus Blainville 1839". Synonym: Pliopithecus piveteaui Hürzeler 1954
  4. Harrison, T; Gu, Y (1999). Taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of early Miocene catarrhines from Sihong, China.


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