--- title: Ancient Chinese Tomb Reveals Extinct Species of Gibbon description: An ancient Chinese royal tomb may contain a previously unknown species of gibbon that was since driven to extinction by humans canonical: https://time.com/5319483/china-royal-tomb-extinct-gibbon/ author: Eli Meixler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-06-22T06:12:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T20:39:29.483Z article:section: Science og:title: Ancient Chinese Tomb Reveals Extinct Species of Gibbon og:description: Human activity may have contributed to their extinction og:url: https://time.com/5319483/china-royal-tomb-extinct-gibbon/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ancient Chinese Tomb Reveals Extinct Species of Gibbon twitter:description: Human activity may have contributed to their extinction twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # An Ancient Chinese Tomb Reveals an Extinct Species of Gibbon, and a Warning by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Jun 22, 2018 6:12 AM UTC by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Jun 22, 2018 6:12 AM UTC An ancient Chinese royal tomb may contain more surprising discoveries than anyone expected, including what appears to be a previously unknown [species of gibbon](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2018/06/21/this-ancient-chinese-tomb-held-a-royal-her-extinct-ape-and-a-warning/?utm%5Fterm=.881f6ea52d99&noredirect=on) that has since been driven to extinction. A new analysis revealed that the interred primate, whose skull and jawbone was exhumed in 2004, may not just represent a new species, _Junzi imperialis,_ but an entirely new genus, the Washington _Post_ reports. The tomb, which is estimated at 2,300 or 2,200 years old, is located in the ancient Chinese capital of Chang’an, in modern-day Xi’an province. The specimen is “significantly different from living gibbons,” according to Helen Chatterjee, professor at University College London and co-author of a [report](http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6395/1346) on the findings published Friday in _Science._ But more alarming to researchers than the discovery is the possible cause of the species’ decline. Gibbons are native to China, but loss of forest habitat has imperiled their survival. _Junzi imperialis_ could serve as a warning that humans could spell demise for their closest relatives, the report’s authors suggest. “This previously unknown species was likely widespread, may have persisted until the 18th century, and may be the first ape species to have perished as a direct result of human activities,” the authors wrote_._ The situation has only become more dire in the two thousand years since. According to a study published last year, nearly two-thirds of primate species face the [threat of extinction](http://time.com/4636086/primate-species-extinction-animals/) due to poaching and habitat loss. “The _Junzi_ find is a sobering lesson in the devastating effects that humans can have on the natural world,” Chatterjee said. “Nature cannot keep up.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5319483/china-royal-tomb-extinct-gibbon/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5319483/china-royal-tomb-extinct-gibbon/"},"headline":"An Ancient Chinese Tomb Reveals an Extinct Species of Gibbon, and a Warning","datePublished":"2018-06-22T06:12:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T20:39:29.483Z","description":"Human activity may have contributed to their extinction","url":"https://time.com/5319483/china-royal-tomb-extinct-gibbon/","keywords":["animals","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eli Meixler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eli/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/animals/","name":"animals"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5319483/china-royal-tomb-extinct-gibbon/","name":"An Ancient Chinese Tomb Reveals an Extinct Species of Gibbon, and a Warning"}}]}] ```