Evolution - Who are we, where did we begin? The evolution of us and apes like us - gorillas, chimps, bonobos, and orangutans - likely began long before any of us resembled the apes of today. For Dr. Sergio Almécija that journey begins in the Miocene some 5-23 million years ago.Dr. Sergio Almécija studies the evolution of humans alongside that of our living closest relatives, the apes. Modern apes and humans constitute a relict of a once highly diversified group. During the Miocene in Africa, Europe, and Asia, there was a greater diversity of apes that did not resemble or move around like any primates alive today. It is from a Miocene ape that both modern chimpanzees and hominins (the human lineage) evolved. Thus, only by studying the evolution of apes and their environment combined with available early hominins will we be able to fully understand human origins.Support the showTalking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO. Official website: talkingapes.orgInstagram: @talkingapes_podcastTwitter: @talking_apes Click here to support the show. BUY OUR MERCH