>>Danuvius guggenmosi, a “totally new and different” species of ape, would have moved through the trees using its forelimbs and hindlimbs equally

Böhme and colleagues determined that the bones they found came from a dryopithecine ape, an extinct ancestor of humans and great apes that once lived in the Miocene epoch. The fossils are approximately 11.6 million years old and came from at least four individual apes, including one partial skeleton. The team described the newfound ancestor, named Danuvius guggenmosi, in a study published today in Nature.

D. guggenmosi was likely a small primate about the size of baboon, with long arms like a bonobo. The creature had flexible elbows and strong hands capable of grasping, which suggests that it could have swung from tree to tree like a modern great ape. But the similarities with known apes stop there. The animal’s lower limbs have much more in common with human anatomy. With extended hips and knees, D. guggenmosi was capable of standing with a straighter posture than that of living African apes, and its knees and ankles were adapted to bear weight. The animal’s locomotion would have therefore shared similarities with both human and ape movement, and D. guggenmosi may have been able to navigate the forest by swinging from tree limbs and walking on two legs.

D. guggenmosi puts bipedality on the evolutionary timeline far earlier than scientists previously expected. Jeremy DeSilva, a paleoanthropologist who reviewed the study for Nature, says while this discovery sheds some light on how hominids began to walk on two feet, it also raises new questions about the evolution of locomotion. Rather than humans evolving to become bipedal after splitting from a quadruped ancestor, the great apes must have evolved from a creature with bipedal capabilities.

Böhme says it is also worth noting that D. guggenmosi was found in Europe, far from where most people imagine ancient apes lived. The narrative of human evolution is typically set on the African stage, but before early humans evolved, some of their primate relatives were living in forests that stretched across the Mediterranean. “We have to keep in mind that a big part of human history or human early evolution was not an African story,” Böhme says.<<

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/new-ancient-ape-species-rewrites-story-bipedalism-180973479/

> D. guggenmosi puts bipedality on the evolutionary timeline far earlier than scientists previously expected. Jeremy DeSilva, a paleoanthropologist who reviewed the study for Nature, says while this discovery sheds some light on how hominids began to walk on two feet, it also raises new questions about the evolution of locomotion. Rather than humans evolving to become bipedal after splitting from a quadruped ancestor, the great apes must have evolved from a creature with bipedal capabilities.

Very interesting. We know that facilitative bipedalism has evolved multiple times – in archosaurs / dinosaurs, in lizards, in crocodiles, in humans. This could be an independent evolution.

The Laetoli footprints shocked everyone in 1978 by their then early date, 3.7 million years ago. And older footprints have been found since. This new suggestion of possible facultative bipedalism at 11.6 million years ago is an eye-opener. The last common ancestor of human and chimp was about 7 million years ago. The last common ancestor with gorilla about 9 million years ago.

mollwollfumble said:

> D. guggenmosi puts bipedality on the evolutionary timeline far earlier than scientists previously expected. Jeremy DeSilva, a paleoanthropologist who reviewed the study for Nature, says while this discovery sheds some light on how hominids began to walk on two feet, it also raises new questions about the evolution of locomotion. Rather than humans evolving to become bipedal after splitting from a quadruped ancestor, the great apes must have evolved from a creature with bipedal capabilities.

Very interesting. We know that facilitative bipedalism has evolved multiple times – in archosaurs / dinosaurs, in lizards, in crocodiles, in humans. This could be an independent evolution.

The Laetoli footprints shocked everyone in 1978 by their then early date, 3.7 million years ago. And older footprints have been found since. This new suggestion of possible facultative bipedalism at 11.6 million years ago is an eye-opener. The last common ancestor of human and chimp was about 7 million years ago. The last common ancestor with gorilla about 9 million years ago.

They mentioned in the article (although with a bit of tongue in cheek) that knuckle walking may have evolved from bipedal locomotion. An interesting idea.

roughbarked said:

Ha
“A 15 Jewel Adjusted PRIMATE”

Eggzakly!
What WORKS Breeds True

A mutant able to use it’s HANDS for more than Walking
and hips, knees, ankles & feet to carry it further faster
is bound to pick up their babies, nesting material, then
belongings & ultimately TOOLS and carry them in search
of better digs. (fertile plains, more game, safer territory)

The Rest (as they say) is History.