When did the Western Gorilla lineage diverge from the lineage leading to humans?
Answer
Roughly 8 to 10 million years ago
The establishment of the gorilla lineage separate from other great apes occurred significantly earlier than splits within the gorilla family itself. The evolutionary record preserved in the DNA indicates that the separation between the ancestors of the Western Gorilla (*Gorilla gorilla*) and the lineage that eventually led to humans occurred in the range of 8 to 10 million years ago. This deep divergence sets the foundation for all subsequent evolutionary separation events observed in the gorilla family tree, preceding the later split between Eastern and Western gorillas by several million years.
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?