A newly discovered fossil ape skull is providing clues about the common ancestor of all living apes, including our own species. The fossil – small enough to fit comfortably in one hand – belongs to an infant, and is the most complete extinct ape skull in the fossil record so far.
But this is NOT a proof that human origins are rooted in Africa, we just find one fossil ape skull and maybe tomorro we will find one in Asia or Europe, as we did in the past.
We now know a large amount about the evolution of the human line since it split from the chimp lineage about 7 million years ago, but the earlier stages of ape evolution – particularly the split between all living apes – are still hazy. The fossil skull throws light on that period of ape evolution.
Go ape: bony ear tubes are dead giveaway
Isaiah Nengo
Found by fossil hunter John Ekusi in the Napudet area of northern Kenya, the fossil – nicknamed Alesi – is 13 million years old. It is the first relatively complete ape skull from the period between 14 and 10 million years ago.
The researchers used sensitive 3D X-ray imaging to look inside the skull, and check out the brain cavity, inner ears and the ape’s yet to emerge adult teeth.
The skull resembles a baby gibbon’s. “There are numerous fossil apes, monkeys, and even more primitive fossil primates that look a bit like gibbons,” explains Christopher Gilbert of the City University of New York, a member of the team that analysed the fossil. “Gibbon-like features probably evolved numerous times during primate evolution.”
The fossil’s adult teeth were larger than those of similar species, so the team thinks the skull belongs to a new species – labelled Nyanzapithecus alesi. The name “alesi” comes from the Turkana word “ales” meaning ancestor.
“Nyanzapithecus represents a group of fossil primates that were relatively poorly known in terms of their overall anatomy,” says Gilbert. “There were open questions as to whether or not they were even apes.”
The new study links Nyanzapithecus to apes, because N. alesi clearly has well-developed bony ear tubes – an important ape feature. N. alesi and its close relatives probably evolved some time just before the common ancestor of all living apes. We are most closely related to the great apes – chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas.
“It provides a tremendous amount of information on how these primitive apes developed in early childhood,” says David Begun from the University of Toronto in Canada.
No comments:
Write σχόλια