Paleoanthropology. Early Homo at 2.8 Ma from Ledi-Geraru, Afar, Ethiopia.
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.
Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA. Center for the Advanced Study of Hominin Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA. Department of Anthropology, University College London, London WC1H 0BW, UK. brian.villmoare@unlv.edu wkimbel.iho@asu.edu.
Brian
B
Villmoare
Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. brian.villmoare@unlv.edu wkimbel.iho@asu.edu.
William H
WH
Kimbel
Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Chalachew
C
Seyoum
Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
Christopher J
CJ
Campisano
Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Erin N
EN
DiMaggio
Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
John
J
Rowan
Center for the Advanced Study of Hominin Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
David R
DR
Braun
School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
J Ramón
JR
Arrowsmith
Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
Kaye E
KE
Reed
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005002:Ethiopia; D005580:Fossils; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology