Ancient Ape Discovery in Türkiye Rewrites Human Origins
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.