The species, Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, may be crucial to understanding great apes and human evolution. Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, a species from northeastern Spain first described in 2004, was one of a diverse group of now-extinct ape species that lived in Europe around seven to 15 million years ago. The species is key to understanding the mosaic nature of hominid (great ape and human) evolution because it is known from a cranium and partial skeleton of the same individual—a rarity in the fossil record. However, debate persists about the species’ evolutionary place, partly due to damage to the cranium. The results are consistent with the idea that this species represents one of the earliest members of the great apes and human family.

Source: Washington Post October 26, 2023 18:42 UTC