Parapithecus Explained

Parapithecus is an extinct genus of primate that lived during the Late Eocene-Earliest Oligocene in what is now Egypt. Its members are considered to be basal anthropoids and the genus is closely related to Apidium. There are two known species. They lived about 40 to 33 million years ago.^[1]

Description

Parapithecus had an unusual dentition, which contained no adult lower incisors.^[2] The upper dentition likely had four incisors.^[3] This means the adult dental formula can be expressed as: Incisors: 2/0; Canines: 1/1; Premolars: 3/3; Molars: 3/3.

Palaeobiology

Palaeoecology

The dental microwear of Parapithecus was most similar to that of modern frugivorous primates, suggesting that Parapithecus fed mainly on fruits.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Book: K. Christopher Beard. Beard CK . Basal anthropoids . Hartwig, Walter . The Primate Fossil Record . Cambridge University Press . 133–149 . 2002. 978-0-521-08141-2 . Walter Hartwig.
2. Simons EL . 1 March 1986 . Parapithecus grangeri of the African Oligocene: an archaic catarrhine without lower incisors . . en . 15 . 3 . 205–213 . 10.1016/S0047-2484(86)80046-X . 1986JHumE..15..205S . 0047-2484.
3. Simons EL . July 2001 . The cranium of Parapithecus grangeri, an Egyptian Oligocene anthropoidean primate . . 98 . 14 . 7892–7897 . 2001PNAS...98.7892S . 10.1073/pnas.051003398 . 35439 . 11438736 . free.
4. Teaford . Mark F. . Maas . Mary C. . Simons . Elwyn L. . December 1996 . Dental microwear and microstructure in early oligocene primates from the Fayum, Egypt: Implications for diet . . en . 101 . 4 . 527–543 . 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199612)101:4<527::AID-AJPA7>3.0.CO;2-S . 29 October 2025 . Wiley Online Library. subscription .