Fossils unearthed in Kenya reveal that the earliest anthropoids, primates that include humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas, likely originated in Africa about 42 million years ago. This finding challenges the prevailing belief that anthropoids began in Asia.

Led by scientists at the National Museums of Kenya, the research team analyzed new fossil specimens from the site of Rukwa Rift Basin, which is abundant with Eocene epoch rocks formed 50 million years ago. One of the fossils includes a well-preserved partial skull with teeth from an early anthropoid genus known as Rukwapithecus. The team dated this skull to be about 42 million years old, making it the oldest anthropoid fossil found in Africa.

The discovery of Rukwapithecus suggests that anthropoids likely evolved and diversified in Africa before dispersing to other parts of the world. The team's findings also provide insights into the early evolutionary stages of anthropoids, shedding light on the origins of the human lineage.

"The discovery of Rukwapithecus changes our understanding of early anthropoid evolution and suggests that Africa, not Asia, was the cradle of anthropoids," said Dr. Emmanuel Kyalo, a research scientist at the National Museums of Kenya and co-author of the study.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).