In anthropology, Anthropoidea is the infraorder of primates that includes monkeys, apes, and humans. It is a taxonomic category used in physical anthropology and primatology to distinguish these “human-like” primates from more primitive groups such as prosimians (lemurs, lorises, tarsiers).

🌍 Definition

• Anthropoidea: From Greek anthropos (“human”) + -oid (“like”), meaning “human-like.”
• Taxonomic Scope:
  • Platyrrhines (New World monkeys): Capuchins, howler monkeys, spider monkeys.
  • Catarrhines (Old World monkeys and apes): Baboons, macaques, gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees.
  • Humans (Homo sapiens).
• Contrast:
  • Prosimians: Lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers, considered more primitive primates.

🔑 Anthropological Contexts

• Physical Anthropology:
  • Anthropoidea are studied for traits like larger brains, forward-facing eyes, and complex social behavior.
  • Dental and skeletal features distinguish anthropoids from prosimians.
• Evolutionary Studies:
  • Fossil anthropoids (e.g., Aegyptopithecus from Egypt, ~30 million years ago) help trace the lineage leading to humans.
• Behavioral Anthropology:
  • Anthropoids exhibit tool use, communication, and social hierarchies—comparative data for understanding human evolution.
• Cultural Symbolism:
  • Anthropoid imagery appears in art and ritual, reflecting human–animal connections.

📚 Importance in Anthropology

• Human Origins: Anthropoidea provides the evolutionary framework for situating humans within the primate order.
• Comparative Anatomy: Clarifies traits unique to humans versus shared with other primates.
• Interdisciplinary Insight: Links anthropology with biology, paleontology, and archaeology.
• Cultural Reflection: Anthropoid figures in ancient art highlight symbolic understandings of human–animal boundaries.

In short: In anthropology, Anthropoidea designates the infraorder of monkeys, apes, and humans, central to evolutionary, anatomical, and cultural studies of human origins.