Fossil Discovered to Fill Evolutionary Gap Suggests Human Ancestors Were Apes(?)

Fossil of Long-Armed Monkey from Yunnan Province, China, Dated 7 to 8 Million Years Ago
Joint Study by Chinese Academy of Sciences and New York University Published in Journal of Human Evolution

[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Cho Young-shin] A monkey fossil that can connect the evolutionary process of apes and humans has been discovered in China and published in an international academic journal.

Photo by Sinamang Capture

According to Chinese media including People.cn on the 28th, the monkey fossil found in Yunnan Province in southwestern China belongs to the genus hylobatids (gibbons) and has been confirmed to be from 7 to 8 million years ago.

This research was jointly conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, and researchers from New York University in the United States.

The research team compared seven fossilized jaws and teeth found in Yunnan Province with gibbon skulls and concluded that the fossil belonged to a gibbon. The fossil is of a gibbon under 2 years old, estimated to weigh 6 kg. They also judged that the 7 to 8 million-year-old fossil is likely a direct ancestor of the current gibbons. The research team added that the surface of the teeth and the type of jaw are similar to those of present-day gibbons.

Ji Xueping, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, explained, "The fossil belongs to the genus of gibbons, which includes 20 species inhabiting tropical and subtropical Asia, and currently 4 to 6 species live in China."

Photo by Sinamang Capture

This research is attracting international attention as it can reduce the gap in the evolutionary process between apes and humans.

Genetically, apes and humans diverged 17 to 22 million years ago. The significance of this fossil research is that it shortens the existing gap of 10 million years to 2 to 6 million years.

Chinese media reported that this research paper was published in the Journal of Human Evolution, an international anthropology journal.