A recent discovery of fossilized teeth in Ethiopia has unveiled a new species of the Australopithecus genus, which lived during the Pliocene to early Pleistocene. This finding adds complexity to the human family tree, suggesting that early human species coexisted with some of the oldest known Homo specimens, including our species, Homo sapiens.
The discovery stemmed from the Ledi-Geraru Research Project, where scientists uncovered 13 teeth from sediments dating back 2.6 to 2.8 million years. These teeth represent a new species distinct from the well-known Australopithecus afarensis, famously exemplified by "Lucy." The teeth also include remains from early Homo, highlighting a non-linear, bushy model of human evolution instead of a linear progression.
Lead author Brian Billmore emphasized the significance of these findings in understanding the evolutionary differences between Australopithecus and Homo. Although the new Australopithecus species has yet to be named, it opens the door to further research and discoveries in the field. The study was published in Nature.
