Discovery of 18-Million-Year-Old Ancient Creature Could Change Human Origins

A study has discovered fossils of a mysterious ape aged 18 million years in Africa. This could provide answers to the puzzle of human origins. The ape fossils were found in Egypt. This discovery differs somewhat from previous assumptions that modern apes originated from East Africa; fossils of a new genus and species have emerged in the northern region. “The discovery of ape fossils in this area is very significant and somewhat surprising. However, it also highlights the incompleteness of our previous picture,” said the lead author of the study from Mansoura University in Egypt, Shorouq Al-Ashqar, quoted from Live Science on Monday (6/4/2026). Al-Ashqar and her team’s findings from 2023-2024 are incomplete. They consist only of several fragments of the upper jawbone and several worn teeth. However, the researchers believe these remains do not come from any previously known species. They then classified them into a new genus and species named Masripithecus moghraensis. The genus name is translated from Arabic and Greek as Egyptian monkey or deceiver. Meanwhile, the species name refers to the location where the fossils were found, Wadi Moghra. The researchers also conducted studies on the age and anatomy of various ape fossils and evolutionary information from the DNA of living apes. This step was taken to determine the place of M. moghraensis in the ape evolutionary tree. The results show that M. moghraensis belongs to the group of apes still alive. Namely, before the separation of the great ape group and the gibbon-siamang group or small apes. This means the ancient ape has a close relationship with the last common ancestor of living apes. The ancestor is also recorded to have lived in the same place as M. moghraensis. “It most likely lived in the northern part of the Afro-Arabian landmass,” said a study author from the University of Southern California, Erik Seiffert. However, not everyone agrees with this analysis. Biological anthropologist from the Miquel Crusafont Paleontology Institute, Sergio Almecija, explained that complete fossils need to be examined before updating views on ape ancestors. David Alba, a palaeontologist from the Catalan Miquel Crusafont Paleontology Institute, said the idea of modern apes originating from North Africa and Arabia around 17 million years ago is already known evidence. For example, non-human great apes have been found in Africa and Southeast Asia. From the fossils discovered, it is also mentioned that great apes once lived in West Asia as well. From this information and the fact that small apes have been found in South and Southeast Asia, he said apes must have passed through the northeast of Afro-Arabia but that does not mean they originated from that region.