Scientists have discovered a new species of ape that lived 11 million years ago in Germany. Named Buronius manfredschmidi, this ape was only the size of a human toddler and is the smallest ever known.
Found at the Hammerschmiede site in Bavaria, a state in southeastern Germany, Buronius is estimated to have weighed around 10 kg. The discovery, published in the journal PLOS ONE, marks the first time several species of ancient apes have been found at a European fossil site from this period.
In this study, a team led by Madelaine Böhme from the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany, and David Begun from the University of Toronto identified fossils of the previously unknown species. The remains of B. manfredschmidi discovered at the Hammerschmiede fossil site in Bavaria, Germany, consist of two partial teeth and one patella.
The Hammerschmiede site is known for the first discovery of the extinct great ape, Danuvius guggenmosi, which lived about 11.6 million years ago during the Miocene Epoch (23 million to 5.3 million years ago).
The B. manfredschmidi fossils were found in the same geological layer as Danuvius, suggesting they likely lived at the same time. This is significant because no other Miocene Epoch fossil site in Europe contains more than one species of great ape.
Researchers in this study analyzed the remains of B. manfredschmidi to understand its behavior. The analysis indicated that this ape was adept at climbing and consumed soft foods like leaves. They also estimated its body weight based on the size of the discovered fossils.
Additionally, the patella of B. manfredschmidi had distinct characteristics compared to Danuvius and other known great apes. Its tooth enamel was thinner than that of Danuvius, which had thicker enamel.
These differences suggest a different lifestyle for the smaller B. manfredschmidi, which ate softer foods, compared to the larger Danuvius, which ate harder foods.
The differences between the two ape species allowed them to coexist in the region during the mid-to-late Miocene period around 11 million years ago, without competing for resources. This is similar to the relationship between modern gibbons and orangutans, which share habitats in Indonesia's tropical forests.
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE on June 7, 2024, by Madelaine Böhme from the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany, and David R. Begun from the University of Toronto, Canada, along with their team.
