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Glite Dictionary
Sivapithecus

Sivapithecus

1 9.9
An extinct ape from South Asia that is related to orangutans
  • noun
  • /ˌsɪvəˈpɪθɪkəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sivapiteco
  • Fossils of Sivapithecus provide insight into the evolution of modern orangutans.

Examples

  • Scientists believe that Sivapithecus lived in South Asia around 8 million years ago.

  • Based on the fossils, Gigantopithecus is now placed among the Asian apes, a descendant, along with the orangutan, of the earlier ape ancestor Sivapithecus, best known from an 8-million-year-old skull discovered in Pakistan.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Researchers discovered a Sivapithecus skull that helped clarify the lineage of ancient primates.

Surface Forms

Sivapithecus singular
Sivapitheci plural

Etymology

Sivapithecus comes from two parts: Sivalik, the hills in South Asia where its fossils were first found, and the Greek -pithecus, meaning 'ape'. So the name literally means 'ape from the Sivalik area', which fits because this extinct primate is thought to be closely related to the modern orangutan.