A team of researchers, after the study of shoulder fossils of an African ape-like ancestor, claims that it is the missing link between humans and chimpanzees. They also hope that studying it could help to know the mystery behind the evolution of human race.

The study reveals that the latest common ancestors of chimpanzees and humans had shoulders that were similar in size to the shoulders of modern African apes.

A report from Live Science unveiled that the findings of the study clearly showed that humans slowly with time came down from the trees and started to live on flat land.

As per experts, humans diverged from chimpanzees nearly 7 million years ago. The latest common ancestor was the hominid that divided into two different species, one that remained in the forests, and the others were the one that developed and adapted a life on the ground.

Biologists as of now have quite a good idea of how the hominids look like, but there are still two opposing theories. One of the theories suggests that the similarities between humans and modern apes were inherited from the same ancient species, which would explain the genes that are present in both. According to the other theory, the similarities between the primates evolved independently, but through similar processes.

The model of the study describes that the change from tress to land was slow and gradual. The evolution of the shoulder may be instrumental in describing the transition from apes to humans over time, said researchers.