All articles tagged with #african apes
A 4.4-million-year-old ankle bone analysis suggests that Ardipithecus ramidus, an early human ancestor, was capable of both climbing like an ape and walking upright, indicating it was more similar to modern African apes than previously thought, which could reshape our understanding of human evolution.
The discovery of a fossilized ape named Anadoluvius turkae in Turkey challenges long-held theories about human evolution. The study suggests that the ancestors of African apes and humans may have evolved in Europe before migrating to Africa between nine and seven million years ago. The findings indicate that hominines, the group that includes African apes and humans, not only evolved in western and central Europe but also spent over five million years evolving there before dispersing into Africa. The fossilized ape, about the size of a large male chimpanzee, lived in a dry forest setting and likely had a diet consisting of hard or tough food items. The research provides strong evidence that the group of early hominines originated in Europe and later dispersed into Africa, challenging the traditional view that African apes and humans evolved exclusively in Africa.
The discovery of a previously unknown 8.7-million-year-old hominine fossil in Turkey, called Anadoluvius turkae, has raised questions about the origin of the entire "hominine" line, which includes African apes and hominins. Traditionally, the common ancestor of African apes and the Homo line was believed to have emerged in Africa. However, the growing list of ancient hominines found in the Mediterranean region, including Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece, suggests a Eurasian origin. The debate continues, but the discovery of Anadoluvius provides new insights into the diversification of hominines in Europe and their subsequent expansion to Africa.