Around 1.5 million years ago, the ancestors of today’s bonobos and chimpanzees became isolated from one another, likely due to the formation of the Congo River. This geographical barrier separated populations of the genus Pan, which ultimately evolved into two distinct species: bonobos (Pan paniscus) south of the Congo River, and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to the north. The river’s formidable width and strong currents created an insurmountable boundary, preventing these populations from interbreeding and leading them down separate evolutionary paths!
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1 WWB Story Tidbit
Prehistory by Mike Prestwood.
Stories before 4004 BCE.
The epoch of wonder and the battle for survival.
Rediscovering our prehistoric roots.
MODE:
1
Full Tidbit.
A H1-Prehistory Story.
From History:
Subject: Congo River Split Life.
1.5 Million Years Ago (+/- 500,000 years)
Simply put.
About 1.5 million years ago, the increasing rapids of the Congo River separated the animals on both sides, sending them down unique evolutionary paths. This included chimpanzees and bonobos, western and eastern gorillas, as well as forest and savanna elephants! In evolution, this process is called allopatric speciation, and when the split is caused by a newly formed physical barrier, it’s more precisely known as vicariance.
Now, the details…
That H1-Prehistory Story,
was first published on TST 1 year ago.
By the way, the flashcard inspired by it is this.
Front: In evolution, what is the process of physically separated species evolving called?
Back: Allopatric speciation (often caused by vicariance)
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Writing and coding by Michael Alan Prestwood.
(c) 2025-2026 TouchstoneTruth.
Writing and coding by Michael Alan Prestwood.
