Scientists discover a 17-million-year-old ape fossil in Egypt that could rewrite early ape evolution

For decades, discussions about the earliest stages of ape evolution have largely centred on East Africa. Many of the fossils that shaped scientific thinking were discovered there, leading to the view that the region was the primary setting where the ancestors of modern apes first diversified before spreading elsewhere. That picture has now become less straightforward. A newly described fossil ape from northern Egypt is prompting researchers to reconsider where some of the earliest branches of the ape family tree emerged. Rather than replacing earlier discoveries, the find expands the map, suggesting that parts of northeastern Africa may have played a much larger role in hominoid evolution than previously recognised.New Masripithecus fossil from Egypt fills a gap in early ape evolution The newly identified species has been named Masripithecus, a previously unknown genus of ape that lived roughly 17 to 18 million years ago during the Early Miocene. It was identified from fossilised lower jaw remains uncovered in northern Egypt.While East African fossil sites have produced numerous early ape discoveries over several decades, comparable deposits in North Africa have mostly yielded foss...