Ramapithecus

American  

[rah-muh-pith-i-kuhs, -puh-thee-kuhs] / ˌrɑ məˈpɪθ ɪ kəs, -pəˈθi kəs /

noun

1. a genus of extinct Miocene ape known from fossils found in India and Pakistan and formerly thought to be a possible human ancestor.

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Etymology

Origin of Ramapithecus

< New Latin (1934), equivalent to Sanskrit Rāma Rama + Greek píthēkos ape

Example Sentences

Subsequent DNA analysis has revealed the split occurred long after that – Ramapithecus is now considered an orangutan ancestor.

From The Guardian • Feb. 12, 2018

In the 1960s, fossil evidence led palaeontologists to conclude that a 14m-year-old ape, Ramapithecus, was the earliest ancestor on the human line, based on the shape of its jaw.

From The Guardian • Feb. 12, 2018

In one case from more than 30 years ago, scientists thought that 12-million-year-old Asian fossils from a creature called Ramapithecus belonged to a hominid until further finds pegged it as an orangutan ancestor.

From US News • Feb. 17, 2011

Anthropologists theorize that once out of the forest, Ramapithecus began to evolve rapidly.

From Time Magazine Archive

The authors admit that we know little about Ramapithecus, a small apelike fellow who existed some 12 million years ago; all we have are a few teeth and bones.

From Time Magazine Archive