China was an ancient-ape paradise

Excavations uncover oldest known ancestral gibbon remains

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Scientists excavating near the edge of a plateau in southern China that features a precipitous 20-meter drop have uncovered a trove of ancient ape fossils, including the oldest-known remains of ancestral gibbons.

TOOTH OF THE APE Newly discovered fossil teeth of an ancient ape species show clear similarities to those of modern gibbons.