Remains of small ape, now extinct, found in ancient tomb

An international team of scientists has discovered the skull of a new species of gibbon in the tomb of an ancient Chinese aristocrat, perhaps the grandmother of China's first emperor, according to a study published in the journal Science.

The gibbon, described in Thursday's edition of the journal, may be a species that went extinct after the last ice age because of human influence.

The remains of the gibbon were discovered in a tomb approximately 2,200 or 2,300 years old in the ancient capital of Chang'an, modern-day Xi'an, Shaanxi province.