1. Extinct apes of the genus Dryopithecus that lived in Africa, Europe, and Asia during the Miocene epoch, considered important ancestors in human evolution.
Usage: paleontology; plural form; singular is dryopithecine; scientific/technical term

Examples

• Dryopithecines are among the earliest known apes in the fossil record.
• Scientists study dryopithecines to understand the evolutionary path leading to modern humans and great apes.
• The discovery of dryopithecine fossils in Europe challenged earlier theories about ape distribution.
• Dryopithecines possessed both ape-like and human-like characteristics in their skeletal structure.
• Paleontologists have identified several species of dryopithecines across different continents.