August 14, 2025

Scientists have made a thrilling find in Ethiopia’s Afar Region — ancient teeth dated to about 2.65 million years ago, belonging to a new species of Australopithecus! This mysterious species lived at the same time and place as the earliest-known Homo species, the group that includes us humans. The Ledi-Geraru research team unearthed 10 teeth from two individuals: six molars, two incisors, one premolar, and one canine. These teeth showed unique features, marking them as a previously unknown seventh species of Australopithecus, a crucial early human ancestor known for a mix of ape-like and human-like traits. Before this, six Australopithecus species were known across Africa. Alongside these, researchers found three other teeth dating to 2.59 million years ago likely belonging to the oldest known Homo species, first discovered from a jawbone found nearby in 2013. Though these new species don’t have official names yet, scientists say this find gives fresh insight into a tricky period of human history. What makes this find so spicy? These teeth prove that two ancient species—this new Australopithecus and early Homo—coexisted, possibly competing for food and space. "We are currently analyzing teeth to see if we can tell if they ate the same thing," said Kaye Reed, a paleoecologist with Arizona State University and co-director of the project. If they shared diets, Reed explained, resource competition might have been fierce. Nearby, crude stone tools discovered suggest the Homo species were already crafting basic tools. These 13 teeth also reveal that four different hominin species lived together in East Africa at this time. Besides the newly found species, other Australopithecus and Paranthropus species (known for their powerful chewing skulls) inhabited East Africa. Another Australopithecus lived in southern Africa, making it five hominin species roaming the continent about 2.6 million years ago. Brian Villmoare, the lead scientist from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said, "This reinforces the idea that the story of human evolution is not of a single lineage changing slowly through time. Rather, the pattern of human evolution is similar to that of other organisms, repeatedly branching into multiple species throughout the fossil record, many of whom lived at the same time." The Afar Region today is a hot, dry badland, but millions of years ago it was lush with rivers and lakes, home to an amazing variety of animals like giraffes, hippos, and saber-toothed cats — a true ancient paradise. Interestingly, Australopithecus includes Lucy, found in the same region and famous for her 3.18 million-year-old fossil. But the newly found teeth don’t belong to Lucy’s species, showing the exciting complexity of our ancient family tree. As Villmoare said, "This new Australopithecus species is in no way some 'missing link,' and we actually don't think that it was necessarily ancestral to any known species." Reed added, "Species arose and many went extinct. Each find is a piece of the puzzle that puts human evolution into a twiggy tree, rather than a linear graphic." This fascinating discovery makes our understanding of human origins richer and more colorful, reminding us that our past is a swirling story of many species living, struggling, and evolving together.

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Tags: Australopithecus, Homo genus, Fossil teeth, Human evolution, Ethiopia, Afar region,