Pithecanthropus

·add. ·noun an animal of this genus.

II. Pithecanthropus ·add. ·noun A hypothetical genus of primates intermediate between man and the anthropoid apes.

III. Pithecanthropus ·add. ·noun A genus consisting of an primate (P. erectus) apparently intermediate between man and the existing anthropoid apes, known from bones of a single individual found in Java (hence called Java man) in 1891-92. These bones include a thigh bone of the human type, two molar teeth intermediate between those of man and the anthropoids, and the calvaria of the skull, indicating a brain capacity of about 900 cubic centimeters, and resembling in form that of the Neanderthal man.