New gibbon genus discovered in ancient Chinese tomb

Bones of an entirely new but already extinct genus of gibbons have been discovered in China, revealing the magnitude of human-caused extinction of primates, according to a study by UCL and ZSL (Zoological Society of London). The discovery was made by scientists while studying the contents of a burial chamber in Shaanxi Province, central China and The ancient tomb dates from around 2,300 years ago and possibly belonged to Lady Xia - grandmother to China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang, the leader who ordered the building of the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Warriors. The tomb, first excavated in 2004, was found to contain 12 burial pits with animal remains, which included gibbon bones. Sophisticated computer modelling reveals that these ancient bones represent an entirely new genus and species of gibbon, which the team has named Junzi imperialis . Historical records reveal that Junzi probably survived until less than 300 years ago. Professor Helen Chatterjee (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment), an expert on gibbons, worked with colleagues to measure key points on the skull and teeth found in the tomb which were then compared to the dimensions found in the four genera of gibbons living today. Their in-depth analysis revealed that the skull and molars differed by so much that the bones belong to a separate genus to today's gibbons.