Newly identified ape fossil from northern Egypt dates to 17-18 million years ago

The short version

• An international team described Masripithecus moghraensis, a 17- to 18-million-year-old ape, from Wadi Moghra in northern Egypt.[ScienceDaily]
• The fossil is the first definitive ape found in North Africa, and analyses suggest it was closer to living apes than known East African species.[ScienceDaily]
• Only lower jaw material was recovered, leaving body size, movement, and behavior unknown; the study interprets its chewing anatomy as favoring a mainly fruit-based diet.[ScienceDaily]

Key facts

• Researchers identified a new ape species, Masripithecus moghraensis, from Wadi Moghra in northern Egypt.[ScienceDaily]
• The fossil lived approximately 17 to 18 million years ago during the Early Miocene.[ScienceDaily]
• The fossil is described as the first definitive fossil ape discovered in North Africa.[ScienceDaily]
• The discovery was described in a study published March 26, 2026, in Science.[ScienceDaily]
• The study was produced by a team from the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center in Egypt and the University of Southern California.[ScienceDaily]
• The fossil remains consist only of lower jaw material.[ScienceDaily]
• The study interprets the chewing anatomy as evidence of a flexible, mainly fruit-based diet that could include harder foods such as nuts or seeds when needed.[ScienceDaily]
• Analyses suggest Masripithecus was more closely related to living apes than any known Early Miocene ape species from East Africa.[ScienceDaily]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

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