Prehistoric Primates

Quick Megaladapis Facts: - Lived from the Pleistocene Period through the Modern Period - Lived in Madagascar - Looks a lot like a sloth - Was shorter than a refrigerator - Weighed as much as an octopus - May have been the origin of the Big Foot legend

Quick Australopithecus Facts: - Lived from the Late Pliocene Period throught the Early Pleistocene Period - Lived in what is now Africa - About as tall as a modern 9-year old human - Weighed half as much as a toilet - May have been omnivorous

Quick Gigantopithecus Facts: - Lived from the Miocene Period through the Pleistocene Period - Lived in what is now Asia - Almost twice the height of a refrigerator - Weighed more than a horse - Was an herbivore - May have lived off bamboo - May have been as strong as 20 men

Quick Mesopithecus Facts: - Lived during the Late Miocene Period - Lived in Eurasia - Was as a third of the height of an adult gibbon monkey - Weighed as much as a Chihuahua dog - May have foraged at night - Was an Herbivore

Quick Ardipithecus Facts: - Lived from the Late Pliocene Period through the Early Pleistocene Period - Lived in what is now Africa - Was as tall as an 8 year old human boy - Weighed 3 times more than a Dachshund dog - Was an Omnivore

Quick Proconsul Facts: - Lived during the Early Miocene Period - Lived in what is now Africa - Was named after a pair of circus monkeys - Weighed half as much as a kangaroo - Was about as tall as a 10 year old - Was omnivorous

Quick Paranthropus Facts: - Lived from the Pliocene Period through the Pleistocene Period - Lived in what is now Africa - 3 different species made up this genus - First species discovered in 1938 - Tallest species of this genus was over 4 feet tall - Weighed less than a kangaroo

Quick Dryopithecus Facts: - Lived during the Middle Miocene Period - Lived all over Eurasia and Africa - Was about 3 times the height of a bowling pin - Was about the same weight as a Dachshund dog - Its diet was mainly fruits