Two hominin lineages coexisted in Ethiopia 2.6 million years ago

New fossil teeth from Ledi-Geraru in Ethiopia suggest Australopithecus and Homo shared the same landscape around 2.6 million years ago.

Ancient Ethiopia site shows Australopithecus and Homo lived together 2.6 million years ago

Researchers report 13 fossil teeth from the Ledi-Geraru site in northeastern Ethiopia, dating to about 2.63 million years ago. Ten teeth belong to an unidentified Australopithecus species, temporarily dubbed the Ledi-Geraru Australopithecus, and two teeth plus one more from Homo may come from the oldest Homo lineage known so far, linked to a jawbone found at the same site. Dating relies on layers of volcanic ash to place these finds in time. The discovery indicates that both Australopithecus and Homo lived in the same region during this period.

Experts caution that naming a new Australopithecus species is premature because the evidence rests on teeth alone and more fossils are needed to confirm a distinct species. The team describes the environment as a grassy plain with water and resources that could support multiple hominin groups, suggesting a landscape where different lineages could compete or share resources without necessarily interacting directly. This find connects to earlier Ethiopian discoveries, including a 2.8 million-year jawbone and early tools dating to around 2.6 million years ago, underscoring a bushy and non linear path in human evolution.

This finding strengthens the view that early human evolution did not follow a single straight line. Instead, Africa hosted multiple hominin species at the same time, sometimes in the same places. That perspective reshapes how we think about how humans and our relatives used environments and resources. The study also highlights limits in paleontology: with small fossil samples, scientists must be cautious about naming new species. Going forward, enamel chemistry and more fossils from Ledi-Geraru will be crucial to understanding diet and potential interaction between groups.

The work demonstrates how new data can reopen old debates about timing and overlap. It also shows the importance of precise dating and careful interpretation of digs. As researchers search for more material, the story of human origins may become even more interconnected and dynamic.

Highlights

The puzzle of human origins keeps growing more complex and fascinating.