Ancient Species of Early Humans Coexisted with the Oldest-Known Homo Sapiens Over 2.6 Million Years Past
A groundbreaking discovery in the field of anthropology was announced in 2025, with the unveiling of a new species of Australopithecus found in Ethiopia. The discovery, made by a team of researchers as part of the Ledi-Geraru Research Project, includes 10 fossilized teeth dating between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago [1][2][4].
The team, led by Dr. Brian Villmoare from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, believes that these teeth belong to a distinct Australopithecus species, different from Australopithecus afarensis, the species of the famous "Lucy" skeleton [1][2][4]. However, the new species has yet to be officially named.
The positioning of the teeth between deposits reveals that this new hominin lived alongside the oldest specimens of Homo. Intriguingly, no fossils of Australopithecus afarensis have been found that are younger than 2.95 million years old [1].
The age of the teeth was determined through past volcanic activity that released ash containing crystals called feldspars. This method, known as thermoluminescence dating, is a reliable way to estimate the age of fossils [3].
The discovery challenges the traditional view of human evolution, suggesting that it is more like a shrub than a linear progression. ASU paleoecologist Kaye Reed stated in a release that the new research shows that the traditional ape-to-Neanderthal-to-modern-human evolution model is not accurate [5].
The new species of Australopithecus joins the rich tapestry of our family tree, adding to our understanding of the complex evolutionary history of early hominins. The researchers are still awaiting further fossil evidence to confirm the unique traits of the new Australopithecus species and name it officially.
The study has been published in the prestigious journal Nature, and its findings are sure to spark further debate and research in the field of anthropology.
[1] Villmoare, B. et al. (2025). New early Homo and Australopithecus from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ethiopia. Nature. [2] Arizona State University. (2025). New hominin species discovered in Ethiopia. [online] Available at: https://asunews.asu.edu/20250812-new-hominin-species-discovered-ethiopia [3] Thermoluminescence dating. (2021). In Wikipedia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoluminescence_dating [4] The Conversation. (2025). A new species of Australopithecus has been discovered in Ethiopia. [online] Available at: https://theconversation.com/a-new-species-of-australopithecus-has-been-discovered-in-ethiopia-184334 [5] National Geographic. (2025). New hominin species found in Ethiopia challenges human evolution theories. [online] Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2025/08/new-hominin-species-found-in-ethiopia-challenges-human-evolution-theories/
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