Additional hominoid material from the Miocene of Spain and remarks on hominoid dispersals into Europe

A hominoid upper molar from Hostalets, recently recognised in collections from the 1920s housed at the Museu i Laboratori de Geologia del Seminari (Barcelona) is assigned to the genus Dryopithecus; this may well be the first dryopithecine tooth to have been collected in the Vallès-Penedès. With Hostalets as one of the older European Dryopithecus localities, hominoid dispersals into Europe are discussed here as well. These coincided with dispersals of other mammals, and such events were related to eustatic sea level changes and global climate. The first hominoid may have entered Europe 15.5 Ma ago (beginning of MN 5); its affinities are not clear. Since the European remains of Griphopithecus are at least 3 Ma younger, they are likely to represent a different species, and might even represent a different genus. Griphopithecus entered Anatolia probably not later than 14 Ma ago (late MN 5), and not later than 12.5 Ma ago (late MN 6) it entered Europe. The ages of hominoids from Klein Hadersdorf and Çandir are close; these occurrences might represent the same species. Remains from Neudorf-Sandberg are much younger. Dryopithecus may have entered Europe also 12.5 Ma ago, coming directly from Africa.