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Numerous fossils of Apes that existed before the advent of Homininds have been discovered in Kenya. As is the case with Human evolution fossils, Kenya is fertile ground for the discovery of ancient Ape fossils. Below is a listing, description and background information about the Human evolutionAncient Ape fossils unearthed in Kenya. The Oldest Chimpanzee FossilsAs of 2015, the oldest chimpanzee fossils ever found were unearthed in the Kapthurin Formation, a section of the Rift Valley near Kenya's Lake Baringo. These fossils, consisting of three teeth, dated to 500,000 years in age--meaning that chimpanzees coexisted alongside hominids. They were unearthed by Sally McBrearty.
Above: Sally McBrearty who unearthed the fossils Chimpanzee fossils are very rare because they tend to live in hot, wet jungle conditions that are not good for the preservation of remains Nakalipithecus NakayamaiNakalipithecus Nakayamai is an ape that existed 9.9 to 9.8 million years ago. It is known from a jawbone that was unearthed in the Nakali region of Kenya by a team of Kenyan and Japanese scientists. The genus assigned after the area it was found in while the species is named after Japanese geologist Katsuhiro Nakayama who died while working on the project.
Nakalopthecus Nakayamai jawbone. Credit: Yutaku Kunimatsu Nakalipithecus is very close to the last common ancestor of Humans, chimpanzees and Gorillas. Its dental features resemble those of Ouranopithecus macedoniensis, an ape that lived in what is now Greece between 9.6 million and 8.7 million years ago and which some scientists think is the last known common ancestor to African great apes and humans. Together with Ouranopithecus it provides evidence that the Homininae lineages of today diverged no earlier than some 8 million years ago. Second, it supports the theory that the closest relatives of humans evolved in Africa.Kamoyapithecus HamiltoniKamoyapithecus is an ape that lived during the Oligocene period (27 million. It was first discovered in 1948 and was initially thought to be a form of proconsul. It was later re-examined by reknowned palaentologist Richard Leakey and assigned a new genus Kamoyapithecus in honour of famous fossil finder Kamoya Kimeu. Kamoyapithecus is the oldest known Catarrhine (Catarrhines are one of the two subdivisions of higher primates). Kamoyapithecus is only known from tooth and jaw fragments. Its teeth are not thickly ernamelled. As such it is thought to have fed primarily on soft foods such as fruits and seeds.
Proconsul
Photo: Univ of Zurich The Proconsul are an extinct genus of Ape whose fossils have been discovered in Kenya and Uganda. It existed during the miocene epoch (23-25 million years ago). There are four species: P. africanus, P. gitongai , P. major and P. meswae, which defer in body size.Proconsul show a mixture of Ape and Old world monkey characteristics. Monkey like features include flexible back, curved metacarpals, and monkey like posture. Its ape like features include the lack of a tail and enhanced grasping capabilities. Because it is one of the earliest monkey to Ape transitional species, It is thought to be a strong candidate to be the ancestor of all great Apes including man and chimpanzees. The first specimen was discovered at Koru in what is now Kisumu county in 1909. It was the first ever fossil mammal found in Sub Saharan Africa. Addioonal fossils were found near Lake Victoria and on Rusinga Island. KenyapithecusThis genus was first discovered at Fort Ternan by Louis Leakey in 1962. It was dated to 14 million years ago. There are two species: K. Wickeri and K. Africanus, however there is still great debate among scientists about its classification. It is considered as a potential ancestor to the great Apes. Since very similar fossils have been found in Turkey, it is also considered as one of the Apes that started the radiation out of Africa. Samburupithecus KiptalamiSamburupithcus Kiptalami is known from a maxilla fragment that was discovered in 1982. It was dated to 9.5 million years ago. It is the only species of the genus Samburupithecus. The teeth have a thick coating of enamel and have cusps that are more rounded rather than pointed. This suggests a diet that incorporated tougher vegetation. |
Fossils of Ancient Apes found in Kenya
