Editing Pierolapithecus (section)

{{short description|Extinct species of ape from Miocene Europe}}
{{Speciesbox
| fossil_range = [[Miocene]], {{fossilrange|12.5|13}}
| image = Pierolapithecus catalaunicus (Kopie).jpg
| image_alt = Reconstruction of "Pierolapithecus catalaunicus"
| image_caption = ''Pierolapithecus catalaunicus''
| status = 
| status_system = 
| status_ref = 
| genus = Pierolapithecus
| species = catalaunicus
| parent_authority = [[Salvador Moyà-Solà|Moyà-Solà]] et al., [[2004 in paleontology|2004]]
| authority = [[Salvador Moyà-Solà|Moyà-Solà]] et al., [[2004 in paleontology|2004]]
| synonyms = 
| synonyms_ref = 
| subdivision_ranks = 
| subdivision = 
}}

'''''Pierolapithecus catalaunicus''''' is an extinct species of [[primate]] which lived around 12.5-13 million years ago during the [[Miocene]] in what is now [[Hostalets de Pierola]], [[Catalonia]], [[Spain]]. Some researchers believe that it is a candidate for [[common ancestor]] to the [[great ape]] clade, or is at least closer than any previous fossil discovery.<ref>{{Cite web | title = 'Original' great ape discovered | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4014351.stm | first = Paul | last = Rincon | publisher = BBC | date = 18 November 2004 | access-date = 23 January 2013}}</ref> Others suggest it being a [[Ponginae|pongine]],<ref name="Pérez de los Ríos-2012" /> or a [[Dryopithecini|dryopith]].<ref name="Sevim-Erol-2023" /> On 16 October 2023, scientists reported the facial reconstruction of the great ape.<ref name="Johnson">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Mark |title=Scientists reconstructed the face of a 12 million-year-old great ape - Fossils of the extinct species Pierolapithecus catalaunicus may reveal clues about our origins |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/10/24/ancient-ape-face-reconstructed-fossils-landfill/ |date=24 October 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20231024143144/https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/10/24/ancient-ape-face-reconstructed-fossils-landfill/ |archivedate=24 October 2023 |accessdate=25 October 2023 }}</ref><ref name="Pugh">{{cite journal |author=Pugh, Kelsey D. |display-authors=et al. |title=The reconstructed cranium of Pierolapithecus and the evolution of the great ape face |date=16 October 2023 |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|PNAS]] |volume=120 |issue=44 |pages=e2218778120 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2218778120 |pmid=37844214 |doi-access=free |pmc=10622906 |bibcode=2023PNAS..12018778P }}</ref>