US Edition18 Million-Year-Old Fossils of Ape Found in Africa, but in an Unexpected Place
Masripithecus moghraensis fossils, about 17-18 million years old, suggest that modern apes may have originated in northern Africa or Arabia, challenging East Africa-only origin models.
- On March 26, 2026, researchers published findings in Science describing Masripithecus moghraensis, a new ape species discovered in northern Egypt's Wadi Moghra that lived around 17 million to 18 million years ago.
- Scientists previously assumed modern apes evolved in East Africa, but this discovery suggests their ancestors may have originated further north in the Afro-Arabian landmass during the Early Miocene epoch.
- Paleontologist Shorouq Al-Ashqar of Mansoura University, Egypt, found jawbone and molar specimens in 2023 and 2024. Analysis places Masripithecus on the ancestral line of all living apes, just before the split between great apes and gibbons.
- While some experts urge caution due to incomplete fossils, David Alba of the Miquel Crusafont Catalan Institute of Paleontology noted the finding aligns with broader evolutionary evidence about ape migration patterns.
- Further exploration across North Africa, including Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya, could help resolve 'huge blind spots' in early ape evolution, according to paleontologist James Rossie of Stony Brook University.
23 Articles
23 Articles
A fossil discovered in Sinai could rewrite the history of the evolution of primates and men. It is an artifact dating back to 18 million years ago, belonging to a new species called Masripithecus, which according to researchers could indicate Egypt as the cradle of the common ancestors of monkeys and humans. The discovery, led by Shorouq Al-Ashqar of the University of Mansoura, was published in Science magazine and opens new scenarios on the ori…
This Ancient Ape Fossil Could Change Where Humans Came From
A fossil from Egypt hints we’ve been searching for humanity’s ape ancestors in the wrong place. Researchers say a newly uncovered fossil ape from northern Egypt is changing how scientists think about early hominoid evolution. The discovery points to northern Africa, rather than the more commonly studied regions of East Africa, as a possible birthplace [...]
For decades, the history of our ancestors has been told looking to East Africa. It is in countries like Kenya or Uganda where fossils have been concentrated that have guided the scientific account. But a new study suggests that paleontologists may have been searching in the wrong place. A jaw fragment found in the Egyptian desert now forces redrawing one of the key chapters of evolution: the origin of modern apes and, ultimately, that of the hum…
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