Pierolapithecus catalaunicus is the name of a species of primate which lived about 13 million years ago and is believed by some to be a common ancestor of both modern humans and great apes.

The species was described by a team of Spanish paleoanthropologists led by Salvador Moyà-Solà on the basis of a fossil specimen discovered in December 2002. The finding was first reported in the journal Science on November 19, 2004.

Controversy as to whether the new species was a common ancestor of great apes and humans has been stirred up due to its location in Spain, which would seem to contradict the single-origin hypothesis that the first humans were from East Africa.

External link

• BBC news item