Scientists Discover Smallest Great Ape That Only Grew to Size of Toddler

• Scientists have discovered a new species of great ape which lived 11 million years ago and only ever grew to the size of a human toddler, making it the smallest known to science. The now-extinct ape species, which has been named Buroniusmanfredschmidi, was uncovered at the Hammerschmiede fossil site in Bavaria.
• From the size of the fossils, the authors estimate that Buronius weighed around 10kg. Roughly the same as a French bulldog, making the new species the “smallest known hominid taxon” (great ape).
• Based on the structure of the teeth and patella, Böhme says that the new species was an adept climber and had a diet comprising soft foods “that may have also included a significant fibrous component”, such as leaves.
• These features suggest that Buronius had a distinct lifestyle from Danuvius, which had a diet of tougher foods.
• It’s likely that these differences in food choices allowed the two species to share a habitat without competing for resources, in the same way modern gibbons and orangutans share habitats in Borneo and Sumatra. This is the first known example of a European Miocene fossil site with multiple ancient ape species.

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Published date : 22 Jun 2024 03:00PM