Fox News Reports: “The remains of an 11 million-year-old ape suggest that our ancestors started to stand upright millions of years earlier, according to scientists.
A team of researchers claims the fossilized partial skeleton of a male ape that lived in the humid forests of what is now southern Germany bears a striking resemblance to modern human bones.
In a paper published on Wednesday by the journal Nature, they concluded that the new species — dubbed Danuvius guggenmosi — could walk on two legs but also climb like an ape.
The findings “raise fundamental questions about our previous understanding of the evolution of the great apes and humans,” Madelaine Boehme of the University of Tuebingen, Germany, who led the research, told The Associated Press.
Scientists have long been trying to discern when apes first evolved the ability to stand on two feet. Previous fossil records of apes that stood upright reportedly date to 6 million years ago.
Boehme, along with researchers from Bulgaria, Germany, Canada and the United States, examined more than 15,000 bones recovered from a trove of archaeological remains known as the Hammerschmiede, or Hammer Smithy, about 44 miles west of the Germany city of Munich.
Among the remains they were able to piece together were primate fossils belonging to four individuals that lived 11.62 million years ago. According to The Associated Press, the most complete, an adult male, likely stood about 3 feet, 4 inches tall, weighed 68 pounds and looked similar to modern-day bonobos, a species of chimpanzee.
“It was astonishing for us to realize how similar certain bones are to humans, as opposed to great apes,” Boehme told the wire service.
Scientists were able to reconstruct how Danuvius moved, concluding that it could straighten his legs to walk upright, as well as hang from tree branches.
“This changes our view of early human evolution, which is that it all happened in Africa,” Boehme explained.
Fred Spoor, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London, told AP the fossil finds were exciting but would likely be the subject of much debate, not least because it could challenge many existing ideas about evolution.
“This is fantastic material,” said Spoor, who wasn’t involved in the study. “There undoubtedly will be a lot for people to analyze.”
Charles R
So now we have the egg heads who are so sure about what was and what is, reason to go scratching their heads again. Things are not always what they seem. So much more to discover.
Cynthia H
Just when we , as human beings, think we know everything we realize, once again, that we don’t! ?
Jeff H
Agree, Cynthia H, because about 4 months after this ‘new’ realization has occurred, science will Reset to the “We have Everything Figured Out” POV. It’s a never-ending cycle repeating over and over again.
Thomas J
They will still be winding their arses and scratching their watches. More knowledge to subvert from our government about the true origins and mysteries our world has yet to provide us. The large hairy beings are just the tip of the iceberg. Have a great day.
Katie F
Or, they can read the first chapter in Genesis and find the answers.
Daniel S
Idiot
Thomas W
The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence! The fossil record is but the smallest keyhole view of the past…..
Katie F
Daniel S,
Are you calling me the idiot or someone else?
Daniel S
I meant idolize but got tricked by auto correct
Knobby
Idolize, what’s that supposed to mean?
I thought science said our common ancestor with other apes was around 6 million years ago, but here’s this upright walking ape twice that long ago. Just a lot of unanswered questions.
Daniel S
Billy idol
JERRY W
No one knows the true story , that is why human evolution has always been 100 % theory and opinions not a proven fact to this point. The recent findings over the past few years have blown the whole African origin theory sky high. So much we as a species do not know , including what a Sasquatch is.