The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma/Mammalia/Class Mammalia/Subclass Eutheria/Order Primates/Suborder Anthropoidea/Family Simiidæ

by William Thomas Blanford

Family SIMIIDÆ.

The Simiidæ, or anthropoid Apes, comprise the Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Orang-outang, and Gibbons. The first two are peculiar to Africa, the Orang-outang inhabits Sumatra and Borneo, whilst the Gibbons, forming the genus Hylobates, are found throughout South-eastern Asia and some of the neighbouring islands, but not west of the Bay of Bengal. They are tbe only members of the family occurring within our area.

In Pliocene times, however, it is probable that two large anthropoid Apes inhabited Northern India. One of these, Troglodytes sivalensis, was allied to the Chimpanzee, whilst a canine tooth indicates a form very closely approaching the Orang-outang. Remains of both have been found in the Siwalik beds of the Punjab.