Apes and Old World monkeys may have split later than thought

Fossil find resets timing of major event in primate evolution

A slope-faced, big-toothed creature from the distant past has inspired scientists to recalibrate the ancient evolutionary split between apes and Old World monkeys.

EVOLUTIONARY FIND Newly discovered pieces of an ancient primate skull, including a face and frontal braincase shown here from the front and side, suggest to scientists that Old World monkeys and apes diverged between 29 million and 24 million years ago.