Teeth Fossils Unearth Clues to Coexistence of Early Human Ancestors

In a significant paleontological discovery, researchers have unearthed 13 ancient tooth fossils in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia. The fossils, which date back approximately 2.65 million years, represent a previously unknown species of Australopithecus, an important early human ancestor, as well as the oldest known species of the Homo genus, to which our own species Homo sapiens belongs.

The researchers found 10 teeth belonging to the new Australopithecus species, along with three teeth from the oldest known Homo species. The close age of the fossils suggests these two early human ancestors coexisted in the same region, raising questions about whether they competed for resources. The discovery provides valuable insights into a poorly understood period in human evolution, as it indicates there were at least four different hominins, or human evolutionary lineages, inhabiting East Africa at the time.

The researchers are now analyzing the teeth to determine if the Australopithecus and Homo species had similar diets, which could shed light on the nature of their interactions. This latest find reinforces the complex, branching nature of human evolution, with multiple species arising and going extinct over time, rather than a single, linear progression.