Great apes such as gorillas and chimpanzees are usually associated with Africa, while orangutans are associated with Asia. However, Europe has also been home to some of the world's largest apes, a new species of which has recently been discovered.
This new great ape, known as Poronius manfredschmi, has never been seen before, weighing about 10 kilograms, making it the smallest ever identified in this category. According to research published on the Plus ONE website, it is estimated that this animal lived about 11 million years ago.
With information from Olhar Digital, researchers discovered samples of this new species in a clay pit in Hammerschmid, southeastern Germany, in a layer dating back to the end of the Miocene era. The collected tooth samples indicate that Poronius were skilled at climbing trees and ate soft foods such as tree leaves.
The strange fact is that Boroneus was not the only great primate to live in that region. In 2015, evidence of another previously unknown species of monkey, Danuvius guggenmosi, was identified at the same archaeological site. This indicates that both animals lived in the area during the same period. Scientists believe that they lived in harmony, as they had different customs. The Danuvius had an upright skeleton, suggesting they were bipedal and lived mainly on land, while the newly discovered Buronius may have been an excellent climber.
Great apes, which today live only in Africa and Southeast Asia, were present in Europe in the past, but became extinct during the late Miocene, the period between 11.63 million and 5.33 million years ago, when the continent's climate and food changed dramatically. Maybe it's becoming rare.
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