The gorilla–human last common ancestor (GHLCA, GLCA, or G/H LCA) is the last species that the tribes

Hominini The Hominini (hominins) form a Tribe (biology), taxonomic tribe of the subfamily Homininae (hominines). They comprise two extant genera: ''Homo'' (humans) and ''Pan (genus), Pan'' (chimpanzees and bonobos), and in standard usage exclude the gen ...

and Gorillini (i.e. the chimpanzee–human last common ancestor on one hand and gorillas on the other) share as a common ancestor. It is estimated to have lived (T_GHLCA) during the late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

. The fossil find of '' Nakalipithecus nakayamai'' are closest in age to the GHLCA. The GHLCA marks a pivotal evolutionary split within the Homininae subfamily, separating the lineage that led to gorillas ('' Gorilla gorilla'' and '' Gorilla beringei'') from the lineage that eventually gave rise to chimpanzees, bonobos and humans. This ancestor is part of the larger African ape lineage, which also includes the chimpanzee—human last common ancestor (Pan and Homo genera). The divergence of the gorilla lineage likely coincided with significant environmental changes, such as the shrinking of tropical forests during the

. Based on genomic analysis, this ancestor lived around 10 million years ago.

References

See also