Last Updated on June 20, 2026 by Staff
The Sahara Desert is a dry place now with a lot of sand and rock. A long time ago it was very different. About 39 million years ago the Sahara had areas with rivers, plants and many animals. Scientists found some things under the sand that can help us understand how primates evolved.
A team of scientists from countries found a new kind of early primate in Libya. This new discovery says that the old ancestors of monkeys and apes might have come to Africa several times, not just once.
New Discovery
The new primate is called Saharopithecus salemi. Scientists found two fossil teeth in Libya. Even though the teeth are small they can tell us a lot about the primates’ history.
Scientists used machines to make 3D pictures of the teeth. They found that the teeth have some features that they had not seen before. The teeth have new traits, which makes it hard to figure out where this primate fits in the evolution story.
The teeth caught the scientists attention because they thought Saharopithecus salemi might be one of the primates to evolve.
Clues in Teeth
Teeth are good fossils because they last a long time and can tell us a lot about what the animal ate, how it behaved and how it evolved.
The teeth of Saharopithecus salemi have tops and a rectangular shape and some special features that are not common in other early primates. These features say that this primate was special and had a place in the primate family.
Scientists compared these fossils with other primate species. They found that Saharopithecus salemi was likely one of the primates to evolve and it had a mix of old and new traits.
This means that the evolution of primates was more complicated than we thought.
Multiple Journeys
For a time scientists wondered how primates first came to Africa. Some people thought that one group of primates came from Asia and started all the primates in Africa.
The discovery of Saharopithecus salemi says that this might not be true. The unique features of this primate say that maybe many groups of primates came to Africa from Asia at times.
Scientists think that these primates might have come to Africa by floating on plants jumping from island to island or using ways to cross the water.
The place where they found Saharopithecus salemi has fossils of different primate species. This says that Africa might have been colonized by groups of primates at different times, not just one time.
This would help explain why there are many different kinds of primates in Africa.
Future Questions
Even though this discovery is very exciting, scientists are careful because they only found two fossil teeth. If they find fossils, like jaws or skulls they can learn more about this primate and its place in evolution.
They are still trying to figure out exactly how old the fossils are. They think they are about 39 million years old. With some uncertainties the place where they found Saharopithecus salemi is one of the most important places to find early primate fossils in Africa.
Maybe future excavations in Libya and other places will find primates like Saharopithecus salemi. Each new fossil can tell us more about how primates evolved and spread across the world.
This discovery shows that even small fossils can change what we know about science. The tiny teeth found in the Sahara have opened a chapter in the story of primate evolution. They say that the first primates in Africa were more diverse and dynamic than we thought and this gives us ideas about where we come from.