Dryopithecine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A now-extinct group of primates from the Miocene that shares traits with both contemporary apes and human ancestors
2. An ancient family of primates pertinent to studies of evolution, exhibiting features linking them to both apes and early humans
3. A now-extinct lineage of primates from the Miocene era that reveals characteristics of both modern apes and the ancestors of humans

Etymology: "Dryopithecine" names a group of extinct apes, and its Greek parts can be read straight off the word. "Dryo-" comes from the Greek "drys," meaning oak or tree, and "pithekos" means ape. The name therefore translates roughly as "oak ape," a label that reflects the forest habitat assumed for these animals. The word was borrowed from the Translingual "Dryopithecinae," the scientific name for the subfamily. Scientists used the Latin-style "-ine" ending to mark a member of that subfamily, so "dryopithecine" works as both a noun for an individual animal and an adjective for anything belonging to the group. The fossils behind the name are mostly teeth and jaw fragments, so the animals are known largely from their dental features. Their mix of ape-like and more primitive traits is why the group is discussed in studies of how great apes and humans diverged.