Why do most scholars classify Aegyptopithecus as a primitive catarrhine?
A) While the skull has some apelike characteristics, most of the skeleton is monkeylike.
B) Aegyptopithecus had cheek pouches and ischial callosities like some modern catarrhines.
C) The skeleton of Aegyptopithecus looks remarkably like that of a modern baboon.
D) There is evidence of a prehensile tail, which is only found in catarrhines.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Most scholars classify Aegyptopithecus as a primitive catarrhine because while the skull has some apelike characteristics, most of the skeleton is monkeylike. The postcranial skeleton is similar to that of a monkey, with a smaller braincase, shorter arms, and longer hindlimbs than modern apes. Thus, it is considered a basal member of the catarrhine clade. The presence of cheek pouches and ischial callosities like some modern catarrhines (option B) is not unique to catarrhines as some other primates also possess these features. Aegyptopithecus does not look remarkably like that of a modern baboon (option C), although it does share some similarities with baboon skeletons. There is no evidence of a prehensile tail in Aegyptopithecus (option D).

Why Do Most Scholars Classify Aegyptopithecus as a Primitive Catarrhine