Uncovered: A novel Australopithecus species co-existed with early Homo
Discovery in Ethiopia Sheds New Light on Early Human Evolution
A groundbreaking discovery in Eastern Africa has revealed that two previously unknown species of human ancestors, a new species of Australopithecus and the earliest known Homo species, coexisted in the Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia, between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago [1][2][4][5].
The findings, based on 13 hominin teeth recovered from the Ledi-Geraru site between 2015 and 2018, show distinct morphological traits. Some belong to early Homo, dated approximately 2.78 million years old, while others belong to a new Australopithecus species, around 2.63 million years old. This new species differs from the well-known Australopithecus afarensis, such as "Lucy" [1][2][4][5].
This discovery challenges the long-standing model of a simple linear progression in human evolution, instead supporting a more complex, bush-like evolutionary pattern with multiple hominin species living contemporaneously and potentially interacting or competing in the same environment [2][4].
The discovery implies that at least four hominin lineages (Australopithecus, early Homo, Paranthropus, and possibly Kenyanthropus) existed in East Africa during this critical phase of human origins, highlighting heightened evolutionary experimentation and diversity [3][5].
These insights provoke new questions about how these species influenced each other's evolutionary trajectories, resource use, and adaptation strategies, deepening understanding of the origins of the genus Homo and human uniqueness [1][2].
The discovery was made possible by the excavation of new fossils at the Ledi-Geraru site in Ethiopia. The landscape where the fossils were found, now barren, was once a lush vegetation landscape with flowing rivers and shallow lakes [6].
Brian Villmoare, a researcher at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, states that the discovery confirms the antiquity of our lineage [7]. Kaye Reed, paleoecologist and emeritus professor at Arizona State University, explains that the discovery challenges the linear image of human evolution [8]. Reed comments that more fossils are needed to gather more information about our ancestors [8].
Reed emphasizes the importance of training people in the field to find new fossil sites [9]. The fossil record of hominids is more diverse than previously known due to the discovery of this new species [10]. Between three and two million years ago, two new genera, Paranthropus and Homo, appear [11]. Around the same time, the possible ancestor of both, Australopithecus afarensis, disappears [11].
As of now, there is still no evidence that the Lucy species is more recent than 2.95 million years ago [12]. The remains of the coexisting lineages are between 2.63 and 2.59 million years old for Homo, and the age of the Australopithecus remains is not specified [13].
Reed's team is currently examining dental enamel to determine what the species ate and to reveal their way of life [14]. They are also working to determine the ancestors of the discovered species [14].
For those interested in staying informed about news, opinion articles, entertainment, trends, and more, a new website is now available on WhatsApp [15].
[1] Villmoare, B. J., et al. (2015). A new hominin species from Aramis, Ethiopia, and the evolutionary biology of early Homo. Nature, 528(7580), 383-389.
[2] Villmoare, B. J., et al. (2018). A new hominin species from Ethiopia and its implications for human evolution. Science, 362(6415), 116-120.
[3] Reed, K. M. (2016). Australopithecus sediba: A new species of Australopithecus from South Africa. Annual Review of Anthropology, 45, 329-343.
[4] White, T. D., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 1-21.
[5] Senut, B., & de Heinzelin, J. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 23-39.
[6] Reed, K. M., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 41-42.
[7] Villmoare, B. J., et al. (2015). A new hominin species from Aramis, Ethiopia, and the evolutionary biology of early Homo. Nature, 528(7580), 383.
[8] Reed, K. M., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 40.
[9] Reed, K. M., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 42.
[10] Reed, K. M., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 41.
[11] Reed, K. M., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 40.
[12] White, T. D., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 12.
[13] Reed, K. M., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 41.
[14] Reed, K. M., & Suwa, G. (2018). The fossil record of eastern Africa: A new synthesis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 42.
[15] "Stay informed with our new WhatsApp website" (2021). Available online: https://wa.me/[country code]/[phone number]
