Early apes lived in Turkey 8.7 million years ago, upending African origins story
Source: sciencenews.org
- Early apes did not evolve in East Africa as long thought, but likely originated elsewhere.
- Fossils from Turkey dating to 8.7 million years ago show apes lived far west of Africa earlier than expected.
- This finding upends the idea that apes migrated from Africa to Europe, suggesting reverse movement instead.
Researchers analyzed fossils from Turkey's Çorakyerler locality and found they belong to early apes that lived 8.7 million years ago, much earlier than similar fossils in East Africa. This challenges the long-held view that apes first evolved in East Africa around 22 million years ago and then spread to Europe. The discovery, published in Nature, involves a team led by David Begun from the University of Toronto, who argue apes likely dispersed from Europe into Africa. It matters because it rewri