Ancient apes get permanent home

By Lillian Nalumansi State minister for tourism trade and industry Jovina Akaki launched a permanent display of Uganda's ancient remains of apes and human beings on Thursday. The 'Ancestors' palaeontology (study of fossils) display permanently erected at the Uganda Museum, has three cabinets with fossils showing the evolution of Uganda's apes (scientifically known as hominoids) and origins of human beings 16-20 million years back. "The palaeontology work was initiated in Uganda during the colonial period but collapsed until French scientists restarted it here 15 years ago. Their discoveries in collaboration with their Ugandan counterparts have put Uganda on the palaeontological map of the world as a prime source of information about the remote past of hominoids in Africa," Akaki said. "For example, the discovery of a new fossil ape genus Ugandapithecus Major from Napak, Karamoja aged between 19 and 20 million years illustrates this point. This discovery throws light on the evolution of apes 17-20 million years back," Akaki said. The French Ambassador Rene Roudant, Alliance Francaise Director Guilles Laborde and the two French scientists Dr. Brigitte Senut and Dr Martin Pickford who discovered the fossils attended the launching. The New Vision's Editor-In-Chief and Managing Director William Pike and many French and Ugandan nationals were also present. Ends.