Mesopithecus

Mesopithecus Temporal range: Late Miocene–Late Pliocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
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Skeleton
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Family:	Cercopithecidae
Subfamily:	Colobinae
Genus:	Mesopithecus
Species
M. pentelici

Mesopithecus ("middle monkey") is an extinct genus of Old World monkey that lived in Europe and western Asia 7 to 5 million years ago. It was once thought that it might be an ancestor of the grey langur, but a more recent study suggests that they are more closely related to the snub-nosed monkeys and doucs.

File:Mesopithecus pentelici.JPG

Mesopithecus pentelici skulls

File:Mesopithecus.jpg

Skeletal restoration

Mesopithecus resembled a modern macaque, with a body length of about 40 centimetres (16 in). It was adapted to both walking and climbing, possessing a slender body with long, muscular limbs and flexible fingers. Its teeth suggest that it primarily ate soft leaves and fruit.

External links

• Rare Mesopithecus skull unearthed in Chalkidiki