Rare Fossil Cranium of Ancient Ape Found in China

Researchers have discovered a rare fossil cranium of a juvenile ape belonging to the ancient Lufengpithecus in China.

The fossil was found in the Shuitangba, a Miocene site in Yunnan Province of China. Crania of the extinct ape species are very rare and the new fossil is just one of two such well-preserved craniums belonging to the Miocene epoch. The juvenile fossil dates back to 6 million years, a time when apes were going extinct in most of Eurasia.

During Miocene epoch, land was inhabited by many modern-day animals and all ancient animals were more or less extinct. Primates, especially, underwent great changes.

Nina Jablonski from Penn State was a member of the team that found the fossil.

"The preservation of the new cranium is excellent, with only minimal post-depositional distortion. This is important because all previously discovered adult crania of the species to which it is assigned, Lufengpithecus lufengensis, were badly crushed and distorted during the fossilization process. In living ape species, cranial anatomy in individuals at the same stage of development as the new fossil cranium already show a close resemblance to those of adults,"  Jablonski said in a news release.

The cranium gives researchers a good look into the brain of the ape called Lufengpithecus lufengensis.

Other researchers have believed Lufengpithecus to be related to the orangutans that live in Southeast Asia. But, researchers who described the new crania note that the structure of the fossil crania is different to that of the living orangutans.

The study is published in the journal Chinese Science Bulletin.