First reliable ape fossil found in Egypt — ScienceDaily

In Wadi Moghra in northern Egypt, paleontologists discovered fossil remains of a new species of ape, Masripithecus moghraensis, which lived approximately 17–18 million years ago. This is the first reliable ape fossil found in North Africa, ScienceDaily reports.

The discovery was made by an international group of researchers from the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center in Egypt and the University of Southern California in the United States. The study description was published on March 26, 2026, in the journal Science.

What is known about the new species

The remains of Masripithecus moghraensis consist of lower jaw material. It was exceptionally robust, while its canines and premolars were large. The molars had rounded chewing surfaces with a pronounced texture.

Scientists suggest that the species primarily ate fruit but could chew tougher food, including nuts or seeds. Such dietary flexibility may have helped the animal survive under conditions of more pronounced seasonality in North Africa and Arabia.

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Revising the hypothesis of ape origins

Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Masripithecus was closer to modern apes than any known Early Miocene species from East Africa. The researchers combined anatomical data from fossil and modern apes, genetic data from modern species, and the geological age of the fossils.

An additional analysis of the distribution of ancient animals pointed to North Africa and the Middle East as the likely region where the last common ancestor of all modern apes lived. This group includes gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans.

The authors do not consider Masripithecus to be a direct ancestor of humans or necessarily a direct ancestor of modern apes. At the same time, its position on the evolutionary tree indicates that North Africa and the Middle East may have been an important center of this group's early evolution.