Aegyptopithecus

Aegyptopithecus zeuxis was discovered in Egypt in the early 1900’s. Aged at 33 million years old, Aegyptopithecus existed during the Oligocene epoch.

At this time, the area now known as Egypt was a lush tropical forest.

Based on dental and physiological morphology, it is believed that Aegyptopithecus was an arboreal species that fed on fruits and other soft plant parts in the treetops.

This early primate, sometimes called the “Dawn Ape”, exhibited both ape and monkey characteristics and is thought to be the earliest known ancestor to the old world apes.