Plesiopithecus
Sign in to savePlesiopithecus is an extinct genus of early strepsirrhine primate from the late Eocene.
Wikidata facts
Show 3 more facts
- taxon name
- Plesiopithecus
- start time
- 34000000-0
- end time
- 34000000-0
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~8 min read
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Anatomy
- Etymology
- Evolutionary history
- Taxonomy
- Anatomy and physiology
- Behavior
- References
- Literature cited
Plesiopithecus is an extinct genus of early strepsirrhine primate from the late Eocene.
==Anatomy== Originally described from the right mandible (lower jaw), its confusing anatomy resulted in it being classified as an ape—its name translates "near ape". Plesiopithecus teras, the only species so far identified, was discovered in 1992 by Elwyn L. Simons in Egypt at the base of the Jebel Qatrani Formation at Fayum in quarry L-41. Within two years, a more complete, crushed skull was found, demonstrating that it was a strepsirrhine primate. It is thought to be a close relative of lemuriforms (extant strepsirrhines), and a sister group to either lorisoids or all lemuriforms.