Primate skeletal elements are frequently confused with those of other mammals. This confusion usually occurs with postcranial bones because of the lack of highly specialized locomotor adaptations among primates. Misidentifications of primates with other taxa or vice versa usually involve certain elements of the fairly generalized skeletons of mammals such as carnivores, aardvarks, or even anthracotheres.
Misidentifications of teeth, at least postcanine teeth, are less frequent because the teeth of most mammals are easily distinguishable, although primate teeth have occasionally been confused with those of suid species that have a simple, bunodont molar morphology (Pickford 1977). Anterior teeth on the other hand (incisors and canines), are often less highly modified than molars or premolars because of similar functional demands across mammalian groups relating to food procurement (incisors) or display, weaponry, and occlusion (canines). Misidentifications are therefore more likely among these teeth.
This paper concerns the regular misidentification for nearly 100 years of a number of non-primate upper canine teeth as belonging to the Miocene, Siwalik hominoid Sivapithecus. The same misidentification was repeatedly made by numerous paleontologists who collected in the Siwaliks, beginning with Guy Pilgrim. It went unrecognized by every hominoid expert who has either collected in the Siwaliks or analyzed the Siwalik hominoid collections, including me until recently.
The misidentification of a few non-primate teeth as hominoid might seem a trivial matter, but it has not been trivial in this case. The misidentified canines have been central to efforts to sort out the taxonomy and phylogeny of the Siwalik hominoids (e.g., Greenfield 1979; Kay 1982; Kelley 1986). In the following discussion, I will first detail the history of the misidentifications and the impact of the misidentified teeth in considerations of Sivapithecus taxonomy and paleobiology. This will be followed by the evidence for my belated recognition of the errors, and for correctly assigning the misidentified teeth. Finally, I will discuss the taxonomic and other implications of removing these teeth from the hypodigm of Sivapithecus.
Specimens discussed here are identified by the following institutional abbreviations: BMNH – British Museum (Natural History) (now the Natural History Museum); BSPhG – Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und historische Geologie; GSI – Geological Survey of India; GSP – Geological Survey of Pakistan; YPM – Yale Peabody Museum.