Fossil analysis pushes back apes, humans by two million years

The common ancestors of apes and humans, Chororapithecus abyssinicus, evolved in Africa not Eurasia, two million years earlier than previously thought, says a new study.

Senior researcher Giday WoldeGabriel stated that their new research supports early divergence, "10 million years ago for the human-gorilla split and 8 million years ago for our split from chimpanzees."

WoldeGabriel further adds, that it is at least 2 million years earlier than previous estimates, which were based on genetic science that lacked fossil evidence.

Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans compose the biological family Hominidae. Their knowledge of hominid evolution, that is, when and how humans evolved away from the great ape family tree, has significantly increased in recent years, aided by unearthed fossils from Ethiopia, including the C. abyssinicus, a species of great ape.

This study has been published in Nature.