Recent discoveries of Dryopithecus shed new light on evolution of great apes

The origin and early evolution of the great ape/human clade (Hominidae) is currently a subject of debate. The controversy is fuelled by the fragmentary nature of the fossils which renders it difficult to determine clearly derived features that permit the recognition of fossil members of this clade. We report here the recent discovery of a facial skeleton and a temporal fragment with the petrosal bone of Dryopithecus laietanus, which provides a way out of an impasse. The lack of the fossa subarcuata is a great ape and human clade synapomorphy, and proves unequivocally that Dryopithecus belongs to this clade. The zygomatic possesses derived characters which reveal that Dryopithecus is related to the Ponginae and not to the African apes/humans, as recently suggested. The remaining morphological features are plesiomorphic and thus provide a good model of a common ancestor of all Hominidae.