What Happened to Our Ape Ancestors?
From The Observatory
Millions of years ago, during the Miocene Epoch (23 to 5.3 million years ago), about 100 species of apes lived across Europe, Asia, and Africa. By the end of this epoch, many of these species had vanished, prompting questions about their fate and evolution.
Research reveals that apes from Africa migrated to Eurasia around 16 million years ago when a land bridge connected the two continents. In Eurasia, these apes thrived, developing new traits such as larger brains to adapt to changing environments. However, as the climate cooled and forests gave way to grasslands, many ape species could not survive the reduced food supply and habitat changes. By about 9 million years ago, many had died out, but some adapted and migrated back to Africa.
The debate over the origins of human ancestors centers on whether they originated in Africa or Eurasia. Traditional views suggest that humans and modern apes evolved in Africa, but newer evidence indicates that ancestors of humans and modern apes may have started in Eurasia and later moved to Africa.
Paleoanthropologists study fossil fragments, such as teeth and bones, to trace ape evolution and their link to humans. Some Miocene apes, like Griphopithecus, had features that could be early signs of human traits. Others, like Dryopithecus, showed characteristics that resemble early humans.
The prevailing theory is that apes originated in Africa, migrated to Eurasia where they evolved, and then returned to Africa, where human ancestors developed. Ongoing fossil discoveries will help clarify this complex history and shed light on how early humans adapted to changing climates and environments.
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
