Prehistoric Apes

[bruin]

(10-31-2018, 03:24 PM)brotherbear Wrote: As mentioned in the "Prehistoric Crocodile" topic, very little has been discussed about Pleistocene Africa. I am interested as to what predators, if any, that the gorilla had to contend with other than the leopard. Very curious.

Well, it appears obvious that, as far as anyone here knows, ever since the existence of gorillas, the top land-based predator of the Congo basin has been the leopard. 
 
https://www.gorillas-world.com/gorilla-evolution/ 
 
The gorillas were separated from the other hominids about 7 million years ago, although some sources indicate that began to populate Africa around 11 million years ago. With the extinction of other great apes, gorillas became the largest primates in the world.

A few years ago, it was thought that all gorillas belonged to a single species, and there were three subspecies, but now, the latest research concluded that there are two species: eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) and western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), with two subspecies each. Both species diverged about 2 million years ago and were separated by the Congo River. 
 
*So, this would suggest that the leopard has been the apex land-based predator of the Congo basin throughout the last 7 to 11 million years.  Reply