Ancient Egyptian ape fossil reshapes the origin story of modern apes
Scientists describe Masripithecus moghraensis, a 17–18 million-year-old fossil ape from Wadi Moghra in northern Egypt. The jaw reveals a mix of features linking it more closely to living apes than East African Miocene species, suggesting North Africa and the Middle East as a cradle and crossroads for ape evolution and challenging the long-held East Africa-centric view. The team used Bayesian methods to integrate anatomy, living DNA, and fossil ages, highlighting how the ape family tree and biogeography may have been shaped across Africa and Eurasia.