Pliopithecidae Temporal range: Early Miocene–Pliocene |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Parvorder: | Catarrhini |
Superfamily: | †Pliopithecoidea |
Family: | †Pliopithecidae |
Subfamilies | |
Crouzeliinae
Pliopithecinae
Dionysopithecinae
The family Pliopithecidae is an extinct family of fossil catarrhines and members of the Pliopithecoidea superfamily. Their anatomy combined primitive features such as a small braincase, a long snout, and a tail. At the same time, they possessed more advanced features such as stereoscopic vision and ape-like teeth and jaws, clearly distinguishing them from monkeys.
Begun and Harrison divide the Pliopithecidae into subfamilies Pliopithecinae and Crouzeliinae.Dionysopithecinae are sometimes placed here as a subfamily, but Begun & Harrison place them in their own family, the Dionysopithecidae.