Abstract: Middle-Small bodied apes from Neogene, China mainly include the Dionysopithecus shuangouensis Li, 1978 and the Platodontopithecus jianghuaiensis Gu and Lin, 1983 from Sihong, Jiangxu, Early Miocene, the Pliopithecus zhanxiangi Harrison, Delson, Guan, 1991 from Tong xian, Ning xia , Middle Miocene and the Laccopithecusrobustus Wu and Pan, 1984 from the Lufeng , Yunnan, Late Miocene as well as the Dryopithecus wuduensis from Wudu, Gansu, Late Miocene. In addition, Pliopithecus posthumus Schlosser, 1924 from Inner Mongolia, which is the heavily worn upper molar and Kansupithecus Bohlin, 1946 from Gansu, which is part of mandible, a re dubious in the morphology and age. It may apply a clue for the fossil anthropoid in the northwest of China.
The Dionysopithecus shuangouensis is represented by a left maxillary fragment with M1 - M3 . It can be compared with Micropithecus from Early Miocene, East Africa in size and some morpho logical features. Also Platodontopithecus jianghuaiensis is only represented by five isolated molars. The dental morphology show s some features similar to Proconsulid from East Africa. Therefore, the Sihong catarrhines appear to be closely related to proconsulidae from the early Miocene of East Africa. In addition, several proconsulid isolated teeth ( Dionysopithecus sp. ) from the Kamlial Formation of northern Pakistan and the Manchar Formatio n of southern Pakistan in Early /Middle Miocene (Dionysopithecus sp. ) support a relation of East Africa. The Dionysopithecussp. is supported by the approximate contemporary of the Sihong ( Early Miocene) . The upper molars of the Dionysopithecus shuangouensis appear mo re square lingual margin than that of Micropithecus. Meanwhile, the Micropithecus leakeyorum Harrison, 1989 from the Maboko , Kenya indicated that this genus can be ex tended to Middle Miocene. We expect mo re materials to be found. Present evidence suggests the association with the major sea level low stand events at 17— 16Ma.
Following the Sihong catarrhines, the Pliopithecus zhanxiangi which includes 8 cranio-dental specimens has been recovered from the Tong xian, Ningxia in Middle Miocene ( about 15 Ma, Tunggurian) , M N 6. The discovery of P. zhanxiangi had been conformed that the Pliopithecid had been ex tended into Asia during the early Middle Mio cene soon after earliest appearance in Europe. Small-sized ape is closely related to European pliopithecids during Middle Miocene and evolved in the Miocene in Yunnan province where extant hylobatids exists. By the way , the main morphological features of the Dianopithecus progressus Pan, 1996 from the Yuanmou hominoid site, which is described recently, are based o n the materials that could be the milk teeth o f great ape. The assessment ha s been suggested to be called off.
The Laccopithecus robustus W u and Pan, 1984 is know n from 90 specimens including a partial cranium, mandibles, maxillae and numerousisolated teeth as well as a proximal phalanx. Laccopithecus is similar to European pliopithecines and some morphological features and to Hylobates concolor and H. syndactylus in other aspects of its dental and cranial morphology. But the proximal phalanx of Laccopithecus shows a number o f features associated with grasping and manual suspension. In addition, the phalanx displays a combination of features that a re similar to extant hylobatids, including asymmetry of the flex or ridges and transverse concavity o f the ventral surface o f the distal shaft and thick cortices ( Meldrum and Pan, 1988) . According to features above, Tyler ( 1993) analyses that if a member of the pliopithedae w ere the ancestor of extant hylobatids, it would have had g row n large, became adapted to brachiation and then grow n small again. If it is not a pliopithecid then it would be a fossil hylobatid. It would have had to have separated from the Asian great ape lines appro ximately 15 Ma and developed full brachiation, and undergone a reduction in body size and dental sexual dimorphism ( Tyler, 1993). With relation to the study of Tertiary rodents in North America that has brought to light two events during the late Miocent-Pliocene period: ( 1) An early Hemphillian event 8. 5— 6. 7± 0. 5 Ma ago and ( 2) Late Hemphillian event 6. 7± 0. 5— 4. 8± 0. 2 Ma ( Repenning , 1987) . This would suggest that the Lufeng period corresponds to the Early Hemphillian event ( Pan, 1997) . What is worthy to note is the morphological change of the Laccopithecus robustus.
I am very grateful to Dr. Yutake Kunimatsu from the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University for his kindly suggestion to the review of the Dianopithecus progressus and I am also grateful to Dr. David Begun from the Department of Anthropolog y , University o f Toronto, Canada and Dr. Takai Masanaru from the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University to discuss the materials from the Yuanmou when they visited IV PP, Beijing.

Key words: Proconsulidae, Pliopithecidae, Pongidae, Miocene, China