What is the estimated divergence time between ancestors of the Cross River and Western Lowland Gorillas?
Answer
Roughly 20,000 to 50,000 years ago
The split within the Western Gorilla species between the ancestors leading to the Cross River Gorilla and the ancestors leading to the Western Lowland Gorilla is extremely recent in evolutionary terms. Genetic studies place this separation within the range of 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. This relatively short interval has allowed for striking genetic differentiation, largely driven by environmental shifts during the Pleistocene epoch which acted as powerful geographic barriers, preventing gene flow between the two groups.
Related Questions
When did the Western Gorilla lineage diverge from the lineage leading to humans?Approximately when did the ancestors of Eastern (*G. beringei*) and Western (*G. gorilla*) gorillas split?Which two recognized subspecies comprise the Western Gorilla species (*Gorilla gorilla*)?What is the estimated divergence time between ancestors of the Cross River and Western Lowland Gorillas?What geographic feature acted as a barrier separating the Cross River Gorillas from the Lowland cousins?What complex genetic process occurred between diverging Eastern and Western gorilla populations before their final separation?What major environmental shifts are identified as sculptors of gorilla evolutionary history?How are typical gorilla societies structured around dominant males, according to social evolution insights?What conservation implication arises from the deep genetic separation of the Cross River Gorilla (*G. b. diehli*)?What genetic event affecting effective population size occurred prior to the split of Western and Eastern lineages?