Final answer:
Early Miocene apes, such as Proconsul and Sivapithecus, migrated out of Africa to Europe and displayed a mix of proconsular-like teeth and body structures similar to modern apes. Samburupithecus and Oreopithecids offer intriguing morphological links to modern African apes and humans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Miocene epoch is notable for providing fossil evidence of early apes, such as Proconsul africanus africanus and Sivapithecus. These apes migrated from Africa to various parts of Europe, including Spain, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and Turkey. Early Miocene apes had teeth resembling those of proconsul ds, with a dental formula of 2.1.2.3, and their body structure showed similarities to modern apes. The Proconsul apes lacked long, curved digits and tails, distinguishing them from monkeys and indicating their mode of movement was typically on all four limbs rather than brachiation.
Sivapithecus is especially interesting due to its resemblance to the modern orangutan, evident in features like tall nasal openings and high eye sockets, indicating a dietary preference for hard foods as suggested by their thick dental enamel.
Linking to the modern apes, Samburupithecus, found in Kenya, shows morphological resemblances to modern African apes with its distinct molar teeth elongation. Another significant Miocene discovery is Oreopithecids from Greece, which shares facial morphology with both African apes and humans, although the fossil record for direct ancestors of African great apes remains sparse.