Hominoid classification

[John Grehan]

If the orangutan relationship is sustained what might this do to hominoid taxonomy? A possibility was outlined by Schwartz (1986) in Comparative Primate Biology 1: Systematics, Evolution, and Anatomy 1-41. In a taxonomy for Primates he suggested the following structure for Hominoidea. Notice the proposed new family. It will also be interesting to see how this holds up in the context of subsequent fossil discoveries. 

 

Superfamily Hominoidea Gray, 1825



Family Hylobatidae Gill, 1872

     Hylobates Illiger, 1811
     Symphangulus Gloger, 1841

Family †Dryopithecideae Gregory and Hellman, 1939
     † Dryopithecus Lartet, 1856
     † Proconsul Hopwood, 1933

     † Rangwapithecus Andrews, 1974
     † Micropithecus Fleagle and Simons, 1878
Family Panidae new rank
     Pan Oken, 1816
     Gorilla I. Geoffroy, 1852
     †Pseudogorilla Leakey, 1962
Family Pongidae Elliot, 1913
     †Gigantopithecus von Koenigswald, 1935
     †Sivapithecus Pilgirm, 1910

     Pongo Lacépède, 1799

Family Hominidae Gray, 1825

     †Australopithecus Dart, 1925
     Homo Linnaeus, 1758