SCIENCE fiction? No, it actually happened. Between 20 and 7 million years ago, Earth really was the planet of the apes. At least 100 species roamed the world before the first humans appeared. They were remarkable in number and diversity, but are more fascinating still for what they tell us about our own origins. Key human traits including big brains, dexterous hands, erect posture and long childhood can be traced back to this period. And the really surprising thing is that these features all evolved in European apes.
The news is full of discoveries that change our ideas about human evolution. But when we think about our ancestors, we tend to focus on the past 8 million years, after our lineage split from that of chimpanzees. What came before that, though? Three decades of study have convinced me that this early period was absolutely crucial. There’s no doubt that apes originated in Africa, or that our more recent evolution happened there. But for a time between these two landmarks, apes hovered on the verge of extinction on their home continent while flourishing in Europe. What’s more, the transformation of European species during this time made us who we are.
The fossil record indicates that apes started out in Africa about 26 million years ago, and were firmly settled there 4 million years or so later in the form of Proconsul. A close relative that lived 18 million years ago paints an extraordinary picture of these early apes. Remains of Ekembo were found preserved Pompeii-like in layers of volcanic ash on Rusinga