Excavation of a Hominoid Locality in the Miocene Siwalik Sequence of Pakistan

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9408664 John Kelley The fossil genus Sivapithecus assumed central importance in the evolution of apes and humans with the recognition that it shares important characters of facial morphology with the orang utan. Recently, the interpretation of Sivapithecus as the sister taxon to orangs has been questioned on the basis of postcranial specimens excavated from site 311 in the Siwalik Hills, Pakistan. This alternative interpretation has fundamental implications for our understanding of the evolution of hominoid postcranial and locomotor adaptations. This research project will extend the excavations at site 311, which has produced half the known postcranial remains of Sivapithecus to date, and also will survey the Hasnot area, which holds considerable promise.