The Asian Origin of Anthropoidea Revisited

Abstract

The concept of an Asian origin for the Anthropoidea has surfaced repeatedly in our attempts to discern the biogeographic and phyletic origins of the suborder (e.g., Pilgrim, 1927; Ba Maw et al., 1979; Gingerich, 1980; Ciochon and Ghiarelli, 1980; Ciochon et al., 1985). The primary evidence for such an Asian origin traditionally lies in the poorly known and phylogenetically enigmatic primate genera Amphipithecus and Pondaungia from the late middle Eocene Pondaung deposits of Burma (now Myanmar).