I want to thank James L. for sending this to me.
Researchers say the jaw bones and teeth are unlike any they have seen before
A new species of ancient human has been unearthed in the Afar region of Ethiopia, scientists report.
Researchers discovered jaw bones and teeth, which date to between 3.3m and 3.5m years old.
It means this new hominin was alive at the same time as several other early human species, suggesting our family tree is more complicated than was thought. The study is published in the journal Nature.
The new species has been called Australopithecus deyiremeda, which means “close relative” in the language spoken by the Afar people.
The bones were found in the Afar region of Ethiopia
The remains belong to four individuals and date to between 3.3m and 3.5m years old
The ancient remains are thought to belong to four individuals, who would have had both ape and human-like features..
Living with Lucy
Lead researcher Dr Yohannes Haile-Selassie, curator of physical anthropology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in the US, told BBC News: “We had to look at the detailed anatomy and morphology of the teeth and the upper and lower jaws, and we found major differences.
“This new species has very robust jaws. In addition, we see this new species had smaller teeth. The canine is really small – smaller than all known hominins we have documented in the past.”
The age of the remains means that this was potentially one of four different species of early humans that were all alive at the same time.
The most famous of these is Australopithecus afarensis – known as Lucy – who lived between 2.9-3.8m years ago, and was initially thought to be our direct ancestor.
However the discovery of another species called Kenyanthropus platyops in Kenya in 2001, and of Australopithecus bahrelghazali in Chad, and now Australopithecus deyiremedaI, suggests that there were several species co-existing.
Australopithecus afarensis was thought to be a direct ancestor of modern humans
Some researchers dispute whether the various partial remains really constitute different species, particularly for A. bahrelghazali. But Dr Haile-Selassie said the early stage of human evolution was probably surprisingly complex.
“Historically, because we didn’t have the fossil evidence to show there was hominin diversity during the middle Pliocene, we thought there was only one lineage, one primitive ancestor – in this case Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy – giving rise to the next.
“That hypothesis of linear evolution has to be revisited. And now with the discovery of more species, like this new one… you have another species roaming around.
“What this means is we have many species that could give rise to later hominins, including our own genus Homo.”
Dr Haile-Selassie said that even more fossils need to be unearthed, to better understand the path that human evolution took.
He added that finding additional ancient remains could also help researchers examine how the different species lived side-by-side – whether they mixed or avoided each other, and how they shared food and other resources in their landscape.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-32906836
Tyler D
Wes, you should look into “Everything You Know Is Wrong” by Lloyd Pye video where he does like an hour n a half conference. He discusses our origins, ancestors, relatives and also touches on sasquatch. It goes perfect with the early hominid stuff you’ve been posting on SC. N I truely believe most of the listeners would really enjoy it
James L
Thanks for the shout out Wes.
I agree that the Lloyd Pye video is great. The thing that comes to mind when I hear witnesses talk about how the hair raises on the back of the neck is the Neanderthal Predation Theory. I think Pye discuss this to some degree. It makes sense that it’s some sort of pre-programed response we have from a time when we were not the apex predators. There is also an interview on Red Ice Radio abut Neanderthal Predation: http://www.redicecreations.com/radio/2013/05/RIR-130512.php
Christopher c
Hey James L. that was a nice little documentary thank you
Tyler D
I’ve really been looking into our origins and early relatives lately. I think this stuff is incredibly fascinating. It totally gives you insight on how we got to where we are. You can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been, right??
Debbie C
Wonderful information!
Thank you Wes for posting.
Dave T
Just proves the point that if multiple species of hominins existed at the same time in the past, it’s still occurring now. BF came from one of these other lines along the way. Amazing theses scientists are so eager to prove a new species from the past but not the one in there own backyard living today. WTF?
Phyllis E
No kiddin….
Phyllis E
Fascinating!!!
Janet B
We don’t and have never had a family tree…it’s been all along a family bush. The rate of discovery for new species seems
to be accelerating…many of the younger paleoanthropologists are starting to realize that we were probably never alone.
BF and his type may be the sole survivors…maybe the others weren’t smart enough to stay the heck away from us.
I wonder a great deal why is seems that BF and kindred, and seemingly making their presence known more often…
or is it just that they are more numerous now?
Jan
Janet B
In a p.s. to my earlier remarks…I’ve always found it interesting that for most of the history of paleoanthropology, the established
paradigm was that only one species of pre-human existed at any one time. Those who thought otherwise, were mostly considered
cranks, if they were considered at all.
Rather interesting and probably distressing to most p.a. types, is that with all the discoveries coming left, right and center,
they are now quite busy, in professional papers, trying to wipe the egg off their faces.
There seems to be something of a push possibly going on in which the, “lumpers”, are trying desperately, to get many of
the new species crammed into existing ones….this particular find, is going to give them fits…that flared ramus is really
going to put a fox in the hen house.
Jan
Christopher c
That jaw looks like it had the capacity to crush bone like a hyena- yikes!
Seamus J. C
Stong jaws but small teeth–?? Why??
larry h
if we came from monkeys then why does our brains are more in line with dolphins. maybe a dolphin and a monkey matted and wa la here we are. its just as logical as the crap these scientist are dishing out in big doses, or maybe we were put here by aliens from seti alpha 5 which built the lost city of Atlanta and from there we the human race or are we really human but anyway populated the earth. these are my thoughts and conclusions over 75 years of research, so good night earthlings and may the force be with you.