Dryopithecus Facts and Figures

Dryopithecus Facts and Figures Name:Â Dryopithecus (Greek for tree chimp); articulated DRY-goodness substance ECK-us Habitat:Â Woodlands of Eurasia and Africa Chronicled Epoch:Â Middle Miocene (15-10 million years prior) Size and Weight:Â About four feet in length and 25 pounds Diet:Â Fruit Recognizing Characteristics:Â Moderate size; long front arms; chimpanzee-like headâ About Dryopithecus One of the numerous ancient primates of the Miocene age (a nearby contemporary was Pliopithecus), Dryopithecus was a tree-staying gorilla that began in eastern Africa around 15 million years back and afterward (like its primate relatives a huge number of years after the fact) transmitted out into Europe and Asia. Dryopithecus was just remotely identified with current people; this antiquated primate had chimpanzee-like appendages and facial highlights, and it presumably switched back and forth between strolling on its knuckles and running on its rear legs (particularly when it was being pursued by predators). Overall, however, Dryopithecus likely invested a large portion of its energy high up in trees, remaining alive on natural product (an eating routine we can surmise from its generally feeble cheek teeth, which wouldnt have had the option to deal with harder vegetation). The strangest reality about Dryopithecus, and one that has produced a lot of disarray, is that this primate lived for the most part in western Europe as opposed to Africa. Today, Europe isnt precisely known for its monkeys and primates - the main indigenous species is the Barbary macaque, which is scarcely European, bound all things considered to the shore of southern Spain, where it has infiltrated from its standard environment in northern Africa. Its conceivable, however a long way from demonstrated, that the genuine pot of primate advancement during the later Cenozoic Era was Europe as opposed to Africa, and that after the expansion of monkeys and chimps these primates moved from Europe and populated (or repopulated) the landmasses for which theyre most popular today, Africa, Asia, and South America.