Question

What is the relationship between Aegyptopithecus and all living catarrhines?

A) Aegyptopithecus is the common ancestor of all living catarrhines.
B) Aegyptopithecus is a direct ancestor of Old World monkeys.
C) Aegyptopithecus is closely related to New World monkeys.
D) Aegyptopithecus is an ancestor of modern apes.

Answer 1

Aegyptopithecus is considered the common ancestor of all living catarrhines, which includes both Old World monkeys and apes, making it an early form of the catarrhine primate lineage.

Step-by-step explanation:

The relationship between Aegyptopithecus and all living catarrhines is a subject of great interest in evolutionary biology. The Propliopithecoidea, to which Aegyptopithecus belongs, are considered the earliest catarrhine primates based on their dental formula resemblance to that of modern catarrhines. As the propliopithecoids, including Aegyptopithecus, possess the dental formula 2.1.2.3 characteristic of catarrhine primates, they are thought to represent the common ancestor of all living catarrhines which includes both Old World monkeys and apes. Therefore, Aegyptopithecus, as an early form of catarrhine, is typically recognized as A) the common ancestor of all living catarrhines. This places it in an ancestral position relative to both Old World monkeys and the modern apes, which evolved in Africa during the Miocene epoch from the catarrhine line.