Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

Three early human species existed alongside Lucy, study shows

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


In 1974, anthropologists made a landmark discovery when they uncovered the remains of Lucy, the first known specimen of the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis.

Now, according to a new study, it appears that three other species of early human co-existed at the same time as Australopithecus afarensis, between 3.8 and 3.3 million years ago during the middle Pliocene.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study provided an up-to-date analysis of Pliocene hominin fossils discovered in Central and Eastern Africa. The scientists followed the fossil record, which showed numerous species overlapping in both time and habitat. The study team’s observations inspired questions around how these early humans were related and how they coexisted.

“It is now obvious that more than one species of early hominin co-existed during Lucy’s time,” study author Yohannes Haile-Selassie, curator of physical anthropology at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, said in a news release. “The question now is not whether Australopithecus afarensis, the species to which the famous Lucy belongs, was the only potential human ancestor species that roamed in what is now the Afar region of Ethiopia during the middle Pliocene, but how these species are related to each other and exploited available resources.”

A reconstruction of Lucy.

Other Early Humans

Researchers have long asserted that there was just one early human species at any moment before 3 million years ago, each of which offered rise to a different new species over time in a linear manner. This was what the fossil record seemed to reveal until discoveries from the last two decades.

The discovery of Australopithecus bahrelghazali from Chad in 1995 and Kenyanthropus platyops from Kenya in 2001 questioned this idea of a linear progression. However, both of these species were simply regarded as geographic variants of Lucy. The discovery of the 3.4 million-year-old Burtele incomplete foot was the first definitive evidence that a different early human ancestor species lived alongside Australopithecus afarensis. In 2015, fossils retrieved from Haile-Selassie’s continuing study location at the Woranso-Mille site in Ethiopia were assigned to the new species Australopithecus deyiremeda. However, the incomplete Burtele foot was not one of them.

“The Woranso-Mille paleontological study area in Ethiopia’s Afar region reveals that there were at least two, if not three, early human species living at the same time and in close geographic proximity,” said Haile-Selassie. “This key research site has yielded new and unexpected evidence indicating that there were multiple species with different locomotor and dietary adaptations.”

—–

Image credit: Yohannes Haile-Selassie

The post Three early human species existed alongside Lucy, study shows appeared first on Redorbit.

redOrbit.com
offers Science, Space, Technology, Health news, videos, images and reference information. For the latest science news, space news, technology news, health news visit redOrbit.com frequently. Learn something new every day.”


Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113414432/lucy-had-neighbors-060716/


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!


Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST


Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser!  Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover -  Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.