Early Homo at 2.8 Ma from Ledi-Geraru, Afar, Ethiopia

2015/03/05 by Brian Villmoare, William H. Kimbel, Chalachew Seyoum +6 · 17 citations
Social Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Psychology · #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Primate Behavior and Ecology

paper · doi:10.1126/science.aaa1343

openalex publication_date 2015/03/05 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

Our understanding of the origin of the genus Homo has been hampered by a limited fossil record in eastern Africa between 2.0 and 3.0 million years ago (Ma). Here we report the discovery of a partial hominin mandible with teeth from the Ledi-Geraru research area, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia, that establishes the presence of Homo at 2.80 to 2.75 Ma. This specimen combines primitive traits seen in early Australopithecus with derived morphology observed in later Homo, confirming that dentognathic departures from the australopith pattern occurred early in the Homo lineage. The Ledi-Geraru discovery has implications for hypotheses about the timing and place of origin of the genus Homo.

Citations

• A New Species of The Genus Homo From Olduvai Gorge
• Australopithecus garhi : A New Species of Early Hominid from Ethiopia
• Australopithecus sediba : A New Species of Homo -Like Australopith from South Africa

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• Late Pliocene fossiliferous sedimentary record and the environmental context of early Homo from Afar, Ethiopia
• Homo [wikipedia]
• Homo habilis [wikipedia]
• Human history [wikipedia]

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