1. A member of an extinct genus of apes (Dryopithecus) that lived in Africa, Europe, and Asia during the Miocene epoch, considered a possible ancestor of modern great apes and humans.
Usage: paleontology; anthropology

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of dryopithecines or the genus Dryopithecus.
Usage: paleontology; anthropology

Examples

• Dryopithecine fossils have provided important evidence about primate evolution.
• Scientists study dryopithecine skeletal remains to understand the origins of apes.
• The dryopithecine species lived millions of years ago during the Miocene period.
• Researchers discovered dryopithecine teeth that suggest a mixed diet of fruits and leaves.
• Dryopithecine anatomy shows features intermediate between earlier primates and modern apes.