Multidisciplinary research investigating the geographic origins of the African apes and humans

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This research is designed to test the hypothesis that the ancestors of African apes and humans lived for a time in Europe, and evolved key adaptations there that led to the modern ape and human lineages. It's 4 main components are excavation, fossil analysis, isotope geochemistry and reconnaissance. We have discovered a bone bed rich in fossil vertebrates, including primates, at the main locality of Rudabánya (R II), in northern Hungary. We have portions of two skeletons of the ape Rudapithecus, six well preserved jaws of the primitive catarrhine Anapithecus, and hundreds of bones of other mammals ranging in size from shrews to elephants. It is by far the richest concentration of fossils ever recovered from the site, and most of the deposit remains to be excavated. I expect that more of the skeleton of the ape found in 2009-10 will be recovered through new excavations. Increasing our sample of late Miocene great apes is the only way to test competing hypotheses of African ape and human origins. African ape-like features present in 10 million year old European apes suggest that the lineage passed through a European phase, but the data are limited to certain aspects of the skull and teeth. Skeletons reveal much more about the biology of an organism and are more likely to help researchers unravel the complexities of African ape and human origins. Beyond excavation and analysis, we will carry out the most ambitious, original and comprehensive analysis of the isotope geochemistry of the locality, which will provide more detailed indicators of local ecological conditions than ever produced for a Miocene ape locality, essential information to deduce selection pressures that may have led to significant key innovations in hominoid evolution. Finally, as we finish with the excavation of R II in years 1 to 3 we will conduct surveys of geologically promising outcrops in Hungary but also along the shores of the ancient Paratethys lake system in Croatia and Romania. Previous work by our group has identified many areas with promise of producing productive new fossil localities that will expand our knowledge of the biogeography of late Miocene European mammals and shed light on the true diversity of apes living in Europe at that time.