Pliopithecidae

The family Pliopithecidae is an extinct family of fossil catarrhines and members of the Pliopithecoidea superfamily.

Their anatomy combined primitive features such as a small braincase, a long snout, and a tail. At the same time, they possessed more advanced features such as stereoscopic vision and ape-like teeth and jaws, clearly distinguishing them from monkeys.

Begun and Harrison divide the Pliopithecidae into subfamilies Pliopithecinae and Crouzeliinae. Dionysopithecinae are sometimes placed here as a subfamily, but Begun & Harrison place them in their own family, the Dionysopithecidae.

Pliopithecids had a clear habitat preference for warm and humid habitats.

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Prehistoric World page 434.