An 8.7 million-year-old ape skull suggests that human and ape ancestors may have evolved in Europe, not Africa

• An ape skull found in Turkey may challenge the belief that human and ape ancestors came from Africa.
• The discovery suggests that hominins may have first evolved in Europe.
• Not all scientists are convinced by the theory, however.

The discovery of an ancient ape skull may challenge the long-held belief that the ancestors of apes and humans came from Africa, a controversial new study says.

The partial skull of the ape, called an Anadoluvius turkae, was found in Cankiri, Turkey, and appears to date back to 8.7 million years ago, Live Science reported.