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Fossil in Egypt Shakes Evolutionary View
A 17-18 million-year-old jawbone found in northern Egypt suggests that the early evolution of tailless monkeys may have also taken shape in North Africa, outside East Africa...
A 17 to 18 million-year-old jawbone fossil found in a desert region in northern Egypt has revealed new evidence that could challenge established views on the evolution of tailless monkeys. The fossil also points to a significant missing link that could shed light on human evolutionary history.
Researchers named this previously unknown species Masripithecus moghraensis. The findings suggest that the early evolution of tailless monkeys may have occurred further north than previously thought.
A first in North Africa
The study was conducted by scientists from Mansoura University and the University of Southern California. The fossil was discovered in the Wadi Moghra region in northern Egypt.
According to the researchers, this jawbone is the first definitive tailless monkey fossil discovered in North Africa to date. The age of the find dates back at least one million years before the early tailless monkeys spread to Europe and Asia.
This time frame strengthens the possibility that the evolutionary journey of tailless monkeys was not limited to East Africa alone. The fossil fills an important gap in the family tree extending to the distant relatives of great apes and humans.
Tooth structure provides dietary clues
The discovered lower jawbone exhibits features different from previously known species. Masripithecus is reported to have large canine teeth, big premolars, and molars with rounded, rough surfaces.
Researchers indicate that this anatomical structure shows the animal primarily fed on fruit but could also consume tougher foods like hard-shelled nuts and seeds when necessary. The strong jaw structure supports this interpretation.
According to scientists, this flexible diet may have provided a significant advantage in the North African environment, where climate conditions became more seasonal. Thus, the species may have better adapted to changing environmental conditions.
Possibly closer to modern tailless monkeys
The fossil's anatomical features, geological data, and genetic information from living monkey species were evaluated together. The results suggest that Masripithecus may be closer to the evolutionary line leading to modern tailless monkeys than other species known from the Early Miocene period.
Therefore, the fossil may represent a critical missing link in understanding the past of distant relatives of today's great apes and humans. The discovery suggests that some nodes in the evolutionary tree are older and more complex than previously thought.
A new possible geographic center
East Africa has long been considered the primary region where tailless monkeys emerged. However, this new finding reveals that North Africa may also have played an important role in the process.
Researchers remind that during the Early Miocene, the African and Arabian plates moved closer to Asia, and during periods of lowered sea levels, natural corridors formed between North Africa and the Middle East, allowing the passage of living beings.
Within this framework, the region is considered to have served as a critical transition area in the early evolution of modern tailless monkeys. Thus, East Africa is beginning to be seen not as a single center but as part of a broader geographic network.
Opening the way for new discoveries
The research team continues fieldwork in the region and believes more fossils may be found in the future. According to scientists, this discovery also shows that the story of human origins is not yet complete.
A single jawbone unearthed from beneath the desert has opened a new chapter in the millions-year-old story of evolution. Now, attention turns to possible other findings from the depths of North Africa.
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