The first complete skull of Simopithecus darti from Makapansgat,South Africa,and its systematic position

The skull of a subadult female of Simopithecus darti from the “Upper Phase I” of the Makapansgat Limeworks, South Africa, is described. It is the first complete skull of Simopithecus which is recorded from the lower Pleistocene “Australopithecine cave deposits” of southern Africa. The present skull shows an interesting mixture of primitive and advanced features. In some respects, it is reminiscent of Parapapio, in others it seems to have affinities with the extant Theropithecus gelada rather than with Simopithecus oswaldi. The systematics of the fossil genus Simopithecus and of the tribe Theropithecini Jolly (1966) are discussed.