Sivaladapis fossil map
Where fossils of Sivaladapis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 15 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 15.98–11.63 million years ago (Langhian to Serravallian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Adapidae |
| Named by | Gingerich and Sahni 1979 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | India |
| Rock formations | Chinji |
About Sivaladapis
Sivaladapis is a genus of adapiform primate that lived in Asia during the middle Miocene.
Sivaladapis is an extinct, adapiform primate genus that belongs to the family Sivaladapidae. Two species of Sivaladapis are currently recognized, S. nagrii and S. palaeindicus. Sivaladapis is considered one of the latest surviving genera of adapiform primates, existing well into the Miocene of South Asia. Compared to other adapiform primates, the fossil record of Sivaladapis is limited, lacking any cranial or postcranial fossil material. The genus is known exclusively from isolated fossil teeth and partial dentaries and maxillae recovered from the Chinji Formation (Siwalik Group) of India and Pakistan.
Both S. nagrii and S. palaeindicus are considered a fairly large adapiforms, with body-size estimates ranging from 2.6 to 3.4 kilograms. The prominent and well-developed shearing crests on its molars and premolars suggests the genus was adapted to a predominately folivorous diet, subsisting on fibrous leaves. It has been hypothesized that the extinction of Sivaladapis around 8 million years ago was the result of the immigration of leaf-eating colobine monkeys to South Asia, where they directly competed with Sivaladapis.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Sivaladapis (revision 1330179915), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q16634885.
