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2w ago

New Australopithecus Coexisted With Early Homo in Ethiopia

Precise volcanic ash dating reveals a previously unknown Australopithecus lived alongside early Homo before more skeletal evidence allows researchers to assign a formal species name.

he 13 fossil teeth collected in the Ledi-Geraru Research Area from 2015-2018.
Scientists hold fossilized hominin teeth discovered in the Ledi-Geraru paleoanthropological research area in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia, in this undated handout picture released on August 13, 2025. Amy Rector, Virginia Commonwealth University/Handout via REUTERS
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Overview

  • Thirteen fossil teeth from Ledi-Geraru have been dated to about 2.6–2.8 million years ago, with ten attributed to an undocumented Australopithecus lineage and three to early Homo.
  • Morphological analysis shows the new Australopithecus teeth differ from A. afarensis and confirms Lucy’s species vanished from the region after roughly 2.95 million years ago.
  • Geologists secured a tight age range by argon-dating feldspar crystals in volcanic ash layers bracketing the fossil-bearing sediments.
  • Paleoanthropologists are withholding a formal species designation until additional skeletal remains beyond dental fragments are discovered.
  • Ongoing enamel chemistry studies and field excavations aim to clarify ancient diets, ecological interactions and anatomical relationships among these contemporaneous hominins.