Egypt fossil suggests early apes may have originated farther north than East Africa
The Facts
- Researchers identified a new ape species, Masripithecus moghraensis, from fossils found in northern Egypt.
- The fossils are estimated to be about 17 to 18 million years old and date to the Early Miocene.
- The remains were found at the Wadi Moghra fossil site in northern Egypt.
- The discovery is described as the first definitive fossil ape known from North Africa, and the first fossil ape found in the region.
- Before this find, the early Miocene fossil record in North Africa had shown monkeys but not apes.
- The study suggests that the ancestors of living apes, including humans, may have originated in northern Africa or the broader Afro-Arabian region rather than only in East Africa.
- The fossil is described as the closest known hominoid relative to the lineage that eventually led to all living apes.
Context
Why is this fossil important?
Because it fills a gap in the fossil record: scientists had long found early ape fossils mainly in East Africa, but this specimen shows an ape in northern Africa at an earlier time, which may change ideas about where the ape family tree began El Periódico,livescience.com,EurekAlert!.
What part of the fossil was found?
The reports say the find includes pieces of a lower jaw and teeth, with some coverage describing it as part of a mandible and associated molars National Geographic…,New Scientist,EurekAlert!.
Does the study prove humans originated in Egypt?
No. The sources say the fossil suggests a possible northern African or Afro-Arabian origin for early apes, but they do not establish a definitive human origin site livescience.com,Financial Times News,EurekAlert!.
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