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Article: Fossil finds diversify ancient apes.
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- November 22, 1986
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1986 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Fossil Finds Diversify Ancient Apes
The Miocene period of 25 million to 10 million years ago was marked by the appearance of ape-like ancestors of modern apes and humans, known as hominoids, in Africa, Asia and Europe. Although questions and debates persist about the evolutionary relationships of various fossil hominoids to one another, two new types of the early apes have now entered the scene.
The fragmented fossil skulls, jaws and limb bones found along Lake Turkana in northern Kenya suggest that there was a greater diversity of hominoid lines than previously believed, report Richard Leakey and Meave G. Leakey in the Nov. 13 NATURE. The new material ...