doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09390-4
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Ancient Humans and New Species of Australopithecus Lived Together
Millions of years ago, in East Africa, there was a species called *Australopithecus afarensis*, which lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago.
It had characteristics of both apes and humans and was considered a possible ancestor of modern humans.
The first humans, belonging to the genus *Homo*, appeared in the fossil record about 2.8 million years ago, in the same region.
On August 13, 2025, scientists announced a surprising discovery: fossils show that, between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago, early humans coexisted with a previously unknown species of *Australopithecus*.
This discovery reveals that human evolution was not a straight line, but more like a tree with many branches.
Anthropologist Brian Villmoare of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, explained:
“Previously, we thought human evolution was a straight line, starting with an ape-like ancestor and leading to *Homo sapiens*, which is us.
But in fact, human evolution branched out several times, occupying different roles in the environment.
This isn’t unique to humans-it’s common to all life forms.”
This discovery suggests that as the East African climate became drier, nature “experimented” with different forms of human beings, while more ape-like species disappeared.
More than 20 researchers from North America, Africa, and Europe published this finding in the scientific journal *Nature* on August 13, 2025.
Unraveling the Puzzle of Human Evolution
*Homo sapiens* is the scientific name for modern humans.
*Homo* is the genus (a biological category above species), and *sapiens* is the name of our species.
Today, we are the only *Homo* species on Earth, but in the past, other human species existed, some living concurrently.
For example, Neanderthals (*Homo neanderthalensis*), who disappeared about 40,000 years ago, coexisted with modern humans.
Human evolution is complex, and this new discovery shows that it is even more complicated than we thought.
Fossil Teeth at the Ledi-Geraru Site, Ethiopia
Teeth are the body parts that best preserve as fossils because of their hard enamel.
Lucas Delezene, an expert on hominid teeth (modern humans and their extinct ancestors) at the University of Arkansas, said:
“The teeth of *Homo* and *Australopithecus* differ in subtle details, but once you notice these differences, they become clear and are very consistent.”
At the Ledi-Geraru archaeological site in Ethiopia, the team found 13 fossil teeth.
Three of these teeth, dated to 2.78 and 2.59 million years ago, had characteristics indicating they belonged to early humans of the genus *Homo*.
But to the scientists’ surprise, other teeth, dated to 2.63 million years ago, belonged to the genus *Australopithecus*.
These teeth did not match any known species, such as *A.
afarensis* or *A.
garhi*, leading the researchers to conclude that this was a new species of *Australopithecus*.
This discovery shows that a species of *Homo* and a new species of *Australopithecus* lived at the same time, something unexpected, since *Australopithecus* were believed to have disappeared 2.9 million years ago.
The Oldest Human Fossils at Ledi-Geraru
The Ledi-Geraru site is also known for harboring the oldest fossil of the genus *Homo*, discovered in 2015, dating back 2.8 million years.
This fossil, a jawbone, had both ape-like and human characteristics, suggesting it was a transitional form between *Australopithecus* and *Homo*.
Villmoare emphasized:
– The new *Homo* teeth found in sediments 2.6 to 2.8 million years old confirm the antiquity of our lineage.
We know what the teeth and jaws of early Homo species looked like, but we still have a long way to go before we understand the differences between Australopithecus and Homo and how they managed to coexist in the same place.
How the Fossils Were Dated
The Ledi-Geraru site is in the Afar region of Ethiopia, an area with high volcanic activity.
When volcanoes erupted, they released ash containing feldspar crystals.
These crystals can be dated using a technique called argon-argon dating.
Geologist Christopher Campisano of the University of Arizona explained:
“We can date the eruptions that occurred when the ash was deposited. We know the fossils are between these ash layers, so we date the layers above and below them.”
Today, the Afar region is a desert with little vegetation. But between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago, it was a dry savanna with a few trees, rivers, and lakes that waxed and waned over time. This was discovered through fossil studies, terrain dating, and geological analyses.
More Questions About Human Evolution
This discovery raised many questions: Did early Homo and the new Australopithecus species have similar diets? Did they compete for food or other resources? Did they interact with each other? Did they come from the same ancestor?
Researchers haven’t yet named the new buffer species, Australopithecus, as they need more fossils and studies. Meanwhile, they continue working with the Afar people, who live near the site, to find more clues.
Scientists have discovered that 2.6 to 2.8 million years ago, in Ethiopia, early humans and a new Australopithecus species lived together. This revelation shows that human evolution is much more complex than we imagined, like a tree with many branches!
Published in 08/29/2025 08h18
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
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