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Dionysopithecidae Temporal range:
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Parvorder: | Catarrhini |
Superfamily: | †Pliopithecoidea |
Family: | †Dionysopithecidae |
Genera | |
Dionysopithecidae is an extinct family of fossil catarrhines and the earliest-known and most primitive members of the Pliopithecoidea superfamily, with fossils in Sihong in China dating to 18–17 million years ago for species Dionysopithecus shuangouensis and Platodontopithecus jianghuaiensis.[1]
A single lower molar found in Ban San Klang in Thailand is similar to those found in Sihong but sufficiently different to be considered a different species, Dionysopithecus orientalis.[1]
They are sometimes treated as a subfamily of Pliopithecidae as 'Dionysopithecinae'.[2]