''Pliopithecus'' {meaning "more ape") is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...

s of the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

. It was discovered in 1837 by

Édouard Lartet Édouard Lartet (15 April 180128 January 1871) was a French geologist and paleontologist, and a pioneer of Paleolithic archaeology. Biography Lartet was born near Castelnau-Barbarens, ' of Gers, France, where his family had lived for more than ...

(1801–1871) in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, with fossils subsequently discovered in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. ''Pliopithecus'' had a similar size and form to modern

gibbon Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical rainforest from eastern Bangladesh to Northeast India ...

s, to which it may be related, although it is probably not a direct ancestor. It had long limbs, hands, and feet, and may have been able to

brachiate Brachiation (from "brachium", Latin for "arm"), or arm swinging, is a form of arboreal locomotion in which primates swing from tree limb to tree limb using only their arms. During brachiation, the body is alternately supported under each forelimb. ...

, swinging between trees using its arms. Unlike gibbons, it had a short tail, and only partial

stereoscopic vision Stereopsis () is the component of depth perception retrieved through binocular vision. Stereopsis is not the only contributor to depth perception, but it is a major one. Binocular vision happens because each eye receives a different image becaus ...

. They appear to have originated in Asia and extended their range into Europe between 20 and 17 million years ago. Begun and Harrison list the following species within the genus: * ''Pliopithecus antiquus'' * ''Pliopithecus bii'' * ''Pliopithecus canmatensis'' * ''Pliopithecus platyodon'' * '' Pliopithecus vindobonensis'' * ''Pliopithecus zhanxiangi'' ''Pliopithecus antiquus'' has been referred to previously as ''P. piveteaui''. ''P. vindobonensis'' is sometimes considered to be a separate genus, ''

Epipliopithecus ''Epipliopithecus vindobonensis'' is an extinct species of pliopithecoid primate recovered from the Middle Miocene deposits of Devínska Nová Ves fissure in western Slovakia. ''Epipliopithecus'' is one of the few pliopithecoids for which both cr ...

''. ''

Anapithecus ''Anapithecus'' (pronounced Ana-PITH-i-kuhs; from Greek πίθηκος pithekos "ape") is a late Miocene primate (10 million years old) known from fossil locations in Hungary and Austria. Many ''Anapithecus'' fossils come from the site of Rudabá ...

'' is a close relative and was initially considered a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

of ''Pliopithecus''.

References

External links

Mikko's Phylogeny Archive
Prehistoric primate genera Miocene primates of Europe Pliocene primates Pliocene extinctions Fossil taxa described in 1849 Extinct animals of Europe {{paleo-primate-stub