Latest news with #BrianVillmoare
New York Post
an hour ago
- Science
- New York Post
2.65 million-year-old fossil teeth unearthed in Ethiopia opens up current understandings of human evolution
Scientists in Ethiopia unearthed pieces of 2.65 million-year-old fossilized teeth belonging to two members of a newly discovered Homo species that could challenge previously accepted understandings of human evolution. The team of scientists found a total of 10 teeth — six molars, two incisors, one premolar and one canine — they believe came from two members of the new Australopithecus species, which hasn't yet been named. Scientists found 10 teeth they determined belonged to a new Australopithecus species. via REUTERS Advertisement The new species marks the seventh discovered genus of Australopithecus, an early ancestor of today's people, primarily ape-like in appearance but with human characteristics like bipedal walking. Australopithecus also had dental features almost identical to modern-day people, including a complete set of 32 teeth. The team also unearthed three other teeth that are roughly 2.59 million years old with traits consistent among the oldest-known Homo species first identified in 2013, which hasn't been formally named either. Both species haven't been assigned official names because the collected fossils are still incomplete. Advertisement Still, the fossils provide much-needed insight into a relatively murky era of human evolution, as the close age of the teeth indicates the two unnamed species could've coexisted — or even competed for resources. The teeth also confirm that there were at least four types of hominins throughout East Africa at the time, with a fifth roaming in southern Africa. 'This reinforces the idea that the story of human evolution is not of a single lineage changing slowly through time,' Brian Villmoare, University of Nevada, Las Vegas paleoanthropologist and lead author of the research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, said. The team also found more teeth linked to a separate Homo species first identified in 2013. via REUTERS Advertisement 'Rather, the pattern of human evolution is similar to that of other organisms, repeatedly branching into multiple species throughout the fossil record, many of whom lived at the same time.' Researchers plan on analyzing the fossils to see if the unnamed species shared similar foods or had any notable interactions. Humans, or Homo Sapiens, are the youngest member of the Homo genus, having only originated roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa. Advertisement The Homo genus is generally believed to have descended from a species of Australopithecus before it eventually died out. The exact species of Australopithecus, though, is hotly contested. With Post wires
Business Insider
18 hours ago
- Science
- Business Insider
A human species unknown to scientists has been discovered in East Africa's oldest country
The fossil dates back about 2.65 million years. The discovery, which was unearthed in the Afar Region's Ledi-Geraru region, provides fresh insight into a crucial and little-known phase of early human history. Ten teeth from two people were found in the discovery: six molars, two incisors, one premolar, and one canine. These were found to belong to a new species in the genus Australopithecus, which is a group of early human progenitors distinguished by a combination of human and ape-like traits. Only six species of Australopithecus have been discovered from fossil sites in Africa thus far. This is the genus's seventh recognized species. Adding to the significance, scientists discovered three more teeth in the same location that were dated to 2.59 million years ago and belonged to the oldest known species of Homo. This is the same early human species that was found in 2013 using a neighboring jawbone. Existence of different human species in Africa The age and location of these fossils point to a surprising overlap: this newly found Australopithecus species coexisted with early Homo in the same region, raising fascinating concerns regarding resource rivalry and ecological relationships. This cohabitation implies that about 2.6 million years ago, at least four separate hominin species lived in East Africa, including another Australopithecus species and a Paranthropus species specialized for intensive chewing. "This reinforces the idea that the story of human evolution is not of a single lineage changing slowly through time," said University of Nevada, Las Vegas paleoanthropologist Brian Villmoare, lead author of the research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, opens new tab. "Rather, the pattern of human evolution is similar to that of other organisms, repeatedly branching into multiple species throughout the fossil record, many of whom lived at the same time," Villmoare added. By examining the 13 teeth, the researchers hope to get insight into the type of contact that may have occurred between the Australopithecus and Homo species, as reported by Reuters. "We are currently analyzing teeth to see if we can tell if they ate the same thing," said Arizona State University paleoecologist and project co-director Kaye Reed. The age of the fossils was estimated using argon dating on feldspar crystals found in volcanic ash layers in the sediment.
NDTV
a day ago
- Science
- NDTV
Ethiopian Fossils Reveal New Species In Human Evolutionary Tree
Researchers have unearthed tooth fossils in Ethiopia dating to about 2.65 million years ago of a previously unknown species in the human evolutionary lineage, one that lived in the same time and place as the earliest-known member of the genus Homo to which our species belongs. The scientists, in the Ledi-Geraru research project area of northeastern Ethiopia's Afar Region, discovered 10 teeth - six molars, two incisors, one premolar, and one canine - that they concluded belonged to a new Australopithecus species. The teeth came from two individuals. Until now, six species of the genus Australopithecus, an important early human ancestor that displayed a mix of ape-like and human-like traits, were known from fossils at various African sites. The researchers said the newly found teeth bore traits indicating they belonged to a seventh species. A genus is a group of closely related species that share similar characteristics. For example, lions and tigers belong to the same genus but represent distinct species. The scientists also discovered three other teeth dating to 2.59 million years ago that had traits showing they belonged to the oldest-known species of Homo, one that was first revealed by a jawbone unearthed in the same vicinity in 2013. Scientists have not yet assigned names to the Australopithecus and Homo species represented by these 13 teeth because of the incomplete nature of the fossil remains. Our species, Homo sapiens, is the most recent member of the Homo genus, first appearing roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa before later spreading worldwide. The new dental fossils provide insight into a poorly understood period in human evolution. The close age of the teeth suggests that this newly identified Australopithecus species coexisted in this region with the early Homo species, raising questions about whether they competed for the same resources. The teeth also indicate that there were four hominins, as species in the human evolutionary lineage are known, that inhabited East Africa at the time. Previous fossils showed that another Australopithecus species and a species of Paranthropus, a hominin possessing a specialized skull adapted for heavy chewing, lived in East Africa during this time. An additional Australopithecus species also inhabited southern Africa, bringing the number of hominins then on the continent to five. The presence of these contemporaneous hominins illustrates the complicated nature of the human evolutionary process. "This reinforces the idea that the story of human evolution is not of a single lineage changing slowly through time," said University of Nevada, Las Vegas paleoanthropologist Brian Villmoare, lead author of the research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. "Rather, the pattern of human evolution is similar to that of other organisms, repeatedly branching into multiple species throughout the fossil record, many of whom lived at the same time," Villmoare added. The researchers are seeking clues about the nature of any interaction between the Australopithecus and Homo species represented by the 13 teeth. "We are currently analysing teeth to see if we can tell if they ate the same thing," said Arizona State University paleoecologist and project co-director Kaye Reed. If so, they may have fought over resources, Reed said. Crude stone tools dating to about the same time were previously discovered nearby, Reed said, probably made by the Homo species. The researchers determined the age of the teeth using a technique that dated feldspar crystals contained in volcanic ash in the sediments where they were discovered based on radioactive decay of the element argon. The Afar Region, one of Earth's hottest and lowest places, is an arid expanse of badlands. But at the time of these species, rivers flowed across a vegetated landscape into shallow lakes in a landscape populated by a splendid array of animals. These included giraffes, horses, pigs, elephants, hippos and antelopes, as well as predators such as sabre-toothed cats and hyenas. Homo is generally thought to have descended from a species of Australopithecus, though the exact species and the timing have been a matter of debate. Australopithecus eventually died out. Australopithecus includes the famous fossil Lucy, who was a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis who lived approximately 3.18 million years ago. Lucy's remains were discovered in 1974, also in the Afar Region. The newly discovered teeth had characteristics that showed they did not belong to Lucy's species, the researchers said. "This new Australopithecus species is in no way some 'missing link,' and we don't think that it was necessarily ancestral to any known species," Villmoare said. "Species arose and many went extinct," Reed said. "Each find is a piece of the puzzle that puts human evolution into a twiggy tree, rather than a linear graphic."
The Star
a day ago
- Science
- The Star
Ethiopian fossils reveal new species in human evolutionary lineage
(Reuters) -Researchers have unearthed tooth fossils in Ethiopia dating to about 2.65 million years ago of a previously unknown species in the human evolutionary lineage, one that lived in the same time and place as the earliest-known member of the genus Homo to which our own species belongs. The scientists discovered in the Ledi-Geraru research project area of northeastern Ethiopia's Afar Region 10 teeth - six molars, two incisors, one premolar and one canine - that they concluded belonged to a new Australopithecus species. The teeth came from two individuals. Until now, six species of the genus Australopithecus, an important early human ancestor that displayed a mix of ape-like and human-like traits, were known from fossils at various African sites. The researchers said the newly found teeth bore traits indicating they belonged to a seventh species. A genus is a group of closely related species that share similar characteristics. For example, lions and tigers are from the same genus but represent different species. The scientists also discovered three other teeth dating to 2.59 million years ago that had traits showing they belonged to the oldest-known species of Homo, one that was first revealed by a jawbone unearthed in the same vicinity in 2013. Scientists have not yet assigned names to the Australopithecus and Homo species represented by these 13 teeth because of the incomplete nature of the fossil remains. Our species Homo sapiens is the most recent member of the Homo genus, first appearing roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa before later spreading worldwide. The new dental fossils provide insight into a poorly understood period in human evolution. The close age of the teeth suggests that this newly identified Australopithecus species coexisted in this region with the early Homo species, raising questions about whether they competed for the same resources. The teeth also indicate that there were four hominins - as species in the human evolutionary lineage are known - that inhabited East Africa at the time. Previous fossils showed that another Australopithecus species and a species of Paranthropus, a hominin possessing a specialized skull adapted for heavy chewing, lived in East Africa during this time. An additional Australopithecus species also inhabited southern Africa, bringing the number of hominins then on the continent to five. The presence of these contemporaneous hominins illustrates the complicated nature of the human evolutionary process. "This reinforces theidea that the story of human evolution is not of a single lineage changing slowly through time," said University of Nevada, Las Vegas paleoanthropologist Brian Villmoare, lead author of the research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. "Rather, the pattern of humanevolution is similar to that of other organisms, repeatedly branching into multiple species throughout the fossil record, many of whom lived at the same time," Villmoare added. The researchers are seeking clues about the nature of any interaction between the Australopithecus and Homo species represented by the 13 teeth. "We are currently analyzing teeth to see if we can tell if they ate the same thing," said Arizona State University paleoecologist and project co-director Kaye Reed. If so, they may have fought over resources, Reed said. Crude stone tools dating to about the same time were previously discovered nearby, Reed said, probably made by the Homo species. The researchers determined the age of the teeth using a technique that dated feldspar crystals contained in volcanic ash in the sediments where they were discovered based on radioactive decay of the element argon. The Afar Region, one of Earth's hottest and lowest places, is an arid expanse of badlands. But at the time of these species, rivers flowed across a vegetated landscape into shallow lakes in a landscape populated by a splendid array of animals. These included giraffes, horses, pigs, elephants, hippos and antelopes as well as predators such as saber-toothed cats and hyenas. Homo is generally thought to have descended from a species of Australopithecus, though the exact species and the timing have been a matter of debate. Australopithecus eventually died out. Australopithecus includes the famous fossil Lucy, who was a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis who lived approximately 3.18 million years ago. Lucy's remains were discovered in 1974, also in the Afar Region. The newly discovered teeth had characteristics that showed they did not belong to Lucy's species, the researchers said. "This new Australopithecus species is in no way some 'missing link,' and we actually don't think that it was necessarily ancestral to any known species," Villmoare said. "Species arose and many went extinct," Reed said. "Each find is a piece of the puzzle that puts human evolution into a twiggy tree, rather than a linear graphic." (Reporting by Will Dunham in Washington, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Straits Times
a day ago
- Science
- Straits Times
Ethiopian fossils reveal new species in human evolutionary lineage
Researchers have unearthed tooth fossils in Ethiopia dating to about 2.65 million years ago of a previously unknown species in the human evolutionary lineage, one that lived in the same time and place as the earliest-known member of the genus Homo to which our own species belongs. The scientists discovered in the Ledi-Geraru research project area of northeastern Ethiopia's Afar Region 10 teeth - six molars, two incisors, one premolar and one canine - that they concluded belonged to a new Australopithecus species. The teeth came from two individuals. Until now, six species of the genus Australopithecus, an important early human ancestor that displayed a mix of ape-like and human-like traits, were known from fossils at various African sites. The researchers said the newly found teeth bore traits indicating they belonged to a seventh species. A genus is a group of closely related species that share similar characteristics. For example, lions and tigers are from the same genus but represent different species. The scientists also discovered three other teeth dating to 2.59 million years ago that had traits showing they belonged to the oldest-known species of Homo, one that was first revealed by a jawbone unearthed in the same vicinity in 2013. Scientists have not yet assigned names to the Australopithecus and Homo species represented by these 13 teeth because of the incomplete nature of the fossil remains. Our species Homo sapiens is the most recent member of the Homo genus, first appearing roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa before later spreading worldwide. The new dental fossils provide insight into a poorly understood period in human evolution. The close age of the teeth suggests that this newly identified Australopithecus species coexisted in this region with the early Homo species, raising questions about whether they competed for the same resources. The teeth also indicate that there were four hominins - as species in the human evolutionary lineage are known - that inhabited East Africa at the time. Previous fossils showed that another Australopithecus species and a species of Paranthropus, a hominin possessing a specialized skull adapted for heavy chewing, lived in East Africa during this time. An additional Australopithecus species also inhabited southern Africa, bringing the number of hominins then on the continent to five. The presence of these contemporaneous hominins illustrates the complicated nature of the human evolutionary process. "This reinforces the idea that the story of human evolution is not of a single lineage changing slowly through time," said University of Nevada, Las Vegas paleoanthropologist Brian Villmoare, lead author of the research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. "Rather, the pattern of human evolution is similar to that of other organisms, repeatedly branching into multiple species throughout the fossil record, many of whom lived at the same time," Villmoare added. The researchers are seeking clues about the nature of any interaction between the Australopithecus and Homo species represented by the 13 teeth. "We are currently analyzing teeth to see if we can tell if they ate the same thing," said Arizona State University paleoecologist and project co-director Kaye Reed. If so, they may have fought over resources, Reed said. Crude stone tools dating to about the same time were previously discovered nearby, Reed said, probably made by the Homo species. The researchers determined the age of the teeth using a technique that dated feldspar crystals contained in volcanic ash in the sediments where they were discovered based on radioactive decay of the element argon. The Afar Region, one of Earth's hottest and lowest places, is an arid expanse of badlands. But at the time of these species, rivers flowed across a vegetated landscape into shallow lakes in a landscape populated by a splendid array of animals. These included giraffes, horses, pigs, elephants, hippos and antelopes as well as predators such as saber-toothed cats and hyenas. Homo is generally thought to have descended from a species of Australopithecus, though the exact species and the timing have been a matter of debate. Australopithecus eventually died out. Australopithecus includes the famous fossil Lucy, who was a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis who lived approximately 3.18 million years ago. Lucy's remains were discovered in 1974, also in the Afar Region. The newly discovered teeth had characteristics that showed they did not belong to Lucy's species, the researchers said. "This new Australopithecus species is in no way some 'missing link,' and we actually don't think that it was necessarily ancestral to any known species," Villmoare said. "Species arose and many went extinct," Reed said. "Each find is a piece of the puzzle that puts human evolution into a twiggy tree, rather than a linear graphic." REUTERS
