Finding the Common Human/Ape Ancestor

Most conceptions of the common human/ape ancestor have it looking pretty much like a sort of chimpanzee, as in this familiar image: These aren't scientific depictions, of course. Though there's still much speculation in scientific circles, their renditions are not much different from the forms on the left. Now comes a more believable common ancestor. The article in the October 30, 2015, issue of Science (Meet your gibbon cousin) is behind a paywall, but there are some articles in the mainstream press (e.g., Newfound human and ape ancestor had "goggle eyes") that describe a newfound primate species that could be a common ancestor of humans and the rest of the ape family tree. It's only around ten pounds, and an artist rendered it like this: It's refreshing to see the search for the common ancestor going off in directions that don't end up looking pretty much like a modern chimp.--Percy