Scientists discovered this earlier Danuvius guggenmosi, an extinct genus of great apes, lived 11.6 million years ago in southern Germany during the Middle-Late Miocene. This species was believed to be the only member of the genus Danuvius.
However, researchers have recently discovered the existence of a second species of great apes from the same stratigraphic layer as Danuvius. In a statement, researchers noted that ancient monkeys in Germany coexisted by sharing the resources in their environment.
Scientists from the University of Tubingen, Germany, and the University of Toronto, Canada, conducted the research, with excavations and subsequent findings taking place over a series of years.
New species of great apes discovered at Hammerschmiede fossil site
The fossils of Danuvius guggenmosi were discovered at the Hammerschmiede fossil site in Bavaria, southern Germany, dating to the late Miocene, 11.6 million years ago. The new gender is named Buronius manfredschmidi.
In addition, important discoveries were made in 2015, including important skeletal elements that have been reasonably well preserved, providing a rare and valuable insight into the anatomy and lifestyle of this extinct great ape.
By analyzing the fossil to gain better evolutionary insights into ancient apes, researchers sought to determine this Danuvius guggenmosi‘s locomotion, diet and ecological niche.
About 11 million years ago, this ancient monkey species appears to have lived in an environment that was probably a forest with a seasonal climate during the Middle-Late Miocene in southern Germany.
Presumably the environment was characterized by a mix of trees and open spaces, creating a diversity of ecological niches.
Related to modern gibbons and orangutans
The new genus name introduced in the study as Buronius was distinguished based on the analysis of partial remains, including two teeth and one patella, found in the same stratigraphic layer as Danuvius at the Hammerschmiede fossil site.
“Based on the structure of the teeth and the patella, the authors conclude that Buronius was an adept climber who ate a diet of soft foods such as leaves,” the statement said.
“Based on the size of the fossils, the authors estimate a full body size of about 10 kg, making Buronius the smallest known great ape.”
Despite the new findings, other experts have questioned the strength of the evidence Danuvius is a hominid or forms a new genus.
Some have also said that “no Miocene site in Europe is known to have more than one species of fossil monkey, and Hammerschmiede has so far been no exception.”
A major difference between the two species, despite their common habitat, is their lifestyle Danuvius consuming chewy foods due to their larger bodies Buronius consume soft foods, such as leaves.
“These differences likely allowed these two species to share a habitat without competing for resources, similar to modern gibbons and orangutans that share habitats in Borneo and Sumatra,” the scientists added.
The discovery is the first known example of a European Miocene fossil site containing multiple ancient monkey species. However, the authors recommend re-examining other similar sites, which may reveal more examples of such cohabitation behavior.
“The new great ape from Hammerschmiede, Buronius manfredschmidi, with a body weight of about 10 kg, is not only the smallest known crown monkey, but it also testified to the first case of hominid syntopia for Europe. The leaf eating Buronius shared the habitat with the omnivorous bipedal monkey Danuvius guggenmosi,” said the authors.
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Shubhangi Dua As a quirky and imaginative multimedia journalist with a Masters in Magazine Journalism, I’m always thinking of new ideas and finding innovative ways to tell stories. I’ve dabbled in a variety of mediums, from wielding a pen as a writer to capturing moments as a photographer and even strategizing on social media. With my creative mind and eye for detail, I have worked in the dynamic landscape of multimedia journalism, writing on sports, lifestyle, arts, culture, health and wellbeing at Further Magazine, Alt.Cardiff and The Hindu. I’m on a mission to create a media landscape as diverse as a Spotify playlist. From India to Wales and now England, my journey has been filled with adventures that inspire my paintings, cooking and writing.