20-million-year-old skull discovery

Scientists in Paris have unveiled a 20-million-year-old skull they hope will help with the study of human ancestry.

The Ugandapithecus was found in Uganda in the layers of sediment under the volcanoes of the Karamoja region.

The discovery of the skull represents the culmination of more than 25 years of work and it is the most complete skull of this type to ever be found.

Martin Pickford, one of the paleontologists who discovered the skull, said: "It's the first time we've got a real good sample of Ugandapithecus Major.

"Before that, it was known by jaw fragments, isolated teeth, a few postcranial bones. But here, we really have a good idea for the first time of what the whole skull might have looked like."

The British paleontologist said the discovery would allow scientists to fill a gap in the lineage of primates but said the Ugandapithecus could very well have become extinct without leading to the birth of man.

http://news.uk.msn.com/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=159215627