Origins and Evolution of Hominoids in East Asia.

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The paleontological investigations have been carried out at four localities in several East Asian countries : the late Miocene of Yunnan Province in southern China, the lete middle Eocene of Pondaung area in central Myanmar, the middle to late Miocene of Ban Na Sai area in Northern Thailand, the early Cenozoic of Fuxing area of Liaoning Province in northeast China. As a result, several primate fossils were discovered in the Pondaung, Myanmar, and Ban Na Sai, Thailand. These fossils are now in the process of description.In Pondaung area newmaxillary and dental specimens of Pondaungia and Amphipithecus, both ofwhich have been discovered at the beginning of this century and considered possible earliest anthropoids, were collected. Especially, the maxillary fragments of both taxa were discovered for the first time. Moreover, two new small primates were discovered : Bahinia and unnamed species. Both taxon are also regarded as anthropoid primates.In Ba Na Sai area a possible hominoid isolated tooth was discovered from the middle Miocene sediment. The specimen is an isolated right upper molar, and might be an oldest hominoid fossil in East Asia. The detailed analysis of this tooth will provide new contribution to the study of hominoid evolution in East Asia.The discoveries of these new primate fossils in Southeast Asia will throw light on the study of evolution of Tertiary primates in East Asia.