Researchers at the Catalan Institute of Paleontology Miquel Crusafont (ICP) have discovered in theCastell de Barberà siteremains of anew genus of primatewho lived 11 million years ago in Catalonia and who has been baptized asBarberapithecus huerzeleri. The finding, published in the magazineAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology, has been possible thanks to the analysis of a large part of the teeth of a female (15 teeth), as well as some loose teeth of other individuals.
Barberapithecus huerzeleriit’s apliopithecidebelonging to agroup of apes about 11 million years ago, which receives its name in recognition of the locality where it was found and of the Swiss paleontologist Johannes Hürzeler, known for his contributions to paleoprimatology and who had collaborated with Miquel Crusafont.
Specifically, the Pliopitecids are a primitive group ofcatarrinos(also known as the“Old World apes”), which apparently originated before the divergence between the “Old World monkeys” (the cercopithecoids) and the group of anthropomorphs and humans (the hominoids). They are an exclusively Eurasian group, likely originating from African ancestors yet to be determined.
The importance of the Castell de Barberà paleontological site is due both to the amount of remains provided from a whole set of fossil mammals of this age, and to the fact that it is one of the few sites in the world that is recorded in the same location the simultaneous presence of hominoids and pliopithecoids. Among other animals, there livedone of the smallest known pigs (Albanohyus castellensis ), just like himfake saber toothof the family of the barbourofélidos (Sansanosmilus jourdani).
