New Fossils Cast Doubt on Lucy's Species, Suggest Ancient Human Relative Co-Existed
A team of scientists has identified the mysterious foot found in Ethiopia three million years ago as belonging to a new human relative, Australopithecus deyiremeda. The discovery has sparked debate about the evolution of humanity and raises questions about coexistence between this ancient species and its famous cousin, Lucy.
The Burtele Foot, named after the site where it was discovered in 2009, had long been a mystery due to its unique characteristics, including an opposable toe similar to that of apes. This feature suggests that its owner could have spent time grasping onto tree branches, unlike Lucy's species, which walked on two legs.
New fossils found at the same site, including a jawbone with 12 teeth, have now confirmed that the Burtele Foot belongs to Australopithecus deyiremeda. The team believes that this species lived alongside Lucy's species, despite their differences in foot anatomy and behavior.
The discovery of A. deyiremeda challenges our understanding of human evolution, particularly with regards to coexistence between different human relatives. According to lead study author Yohannes Haile-Selassie, "co-existence is deep in our ancestry." The new research suggests that A. deyiremeda spent its time in the forest, eating mainly leaves, fruit, and nuts from trees, while Lucy's species lived on the ground.
The discovery of Australopithecus deyiremeda also opens up possibilities for further exploration of human evolution. According to paleolithic archaeologist John McNabb, this new find "adds a new player into the mix" in the search for our true ancestor. While it is unlikely to dethrone Lucy as the prime suspect, A. deyiremeda's discovery highlights the complexity and diversity of human evolution.
As scientists continue to uncover more fossils and study them using advanced technologies, they are refining their understanding of humanity's origins. The discovery of 3,000-million-year-old knives in the same region where Lucy was discovered has shed light on our earliest tools and may help frame humans' existence on the planet.
"We are the last biped standing," says Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian's human origins program. "All other ways of life became extinct. And so that gives us a lot to think about, and it draws attention to the fragility of life, even in our own journey through time."
With new discoveries and validation of older findings, the scientific community is becoming more accepting of A. deyiremeda as a viable candidate for our ancient human ancestor. As one scientist noted, "we don't know -- it depends on what we find." The search for our true ancestor continues, with Australopithecus deyiremeda now firmly in the picture.
A team of scientists has identified the mysterious foot found in Ethiopia three million years ago as belonging to a new human relative, Australopithecus deyiremeda. The discovery has sparked debate about the evolution of humanity and raises questions about coexistence between this ancient species and its famous cousin, Lucy.
The Burtele Foot, named after the site where it was discovered in 2009, had long been a mystery due to its unique characteristics, including an opposable toe similar to that of apes. This feature suggests that its owner could have spent time grasping onto tree branches, unlike Lucy's species, which walked on two legs.
New fossils found at the same site, including a jawbone with 12 teeth, have now confirmed that the Burtele Foot belongs to Australopithecus deyiremeda. The team believes that this species lived alongside Lucy's species, despite their differences in foot anatomy and behavior.
The discovery of A. deyiremeda challenges our understanding of human evolution, particularly with regards to coexistence between different human relatives. According to lead study author Yohannes Haile-Selassie, "co-existence is deep in our ancestry." The new research suggests that A. deyiremeda spent its time in the forest, eating mainly leaves, fruit, and nuts from trees, while Lucy's species lived on the ground.
The discovery of Australopithecus deyiremeda also opens up possibilities for further exploration of human evolution. According to paleolithic archaeologist John McNabb, this new find "adds a new player into the mix" in the search for our true ancestor. While it is unlikely to dethrone Lucy as the prime suspect, A. deyiremeda's discovery highlights the complexity and diversity of human evolution.
As scientists continue to uncover more fossils and study them using advanced technologies, they are refining their understanding of humanity's origins. The discovery of 3,000-million-year-old knives in the same region where Lucy was discovered has shed light on our earliest tools and may help frame humans' existence on the planet.
"We are the last biped standing," says Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian's human origins program. "All other ways of life became extinct. And so that gives us a lot to think about, and it draws attention to the fragility of life, even in our own journey through time."
With new discoveries and validation of older findings, the scientific community is becoming more accepting of A. deyiremeda as a viable candidate for our ancient human ancestor. As one scientist noted, "we don't know -- it depends on what we find." The search for our true ancestor continues, with Australopithecus deyiremeda now firmly in the picture.
... thought she was this definitive human ancestor, but now it's all complicated 
. So they've found these new fossils and they're saying that Lucy wasn't as special as we thought? Like, maybe there were other humans around back then too? 
It makes sense, I guess. I mean, evolution is all about adaptation and stuff... so it's not like one species just magically evolved into another 
.
. And now they're saying that this new guy Australopithecus deyiremeda was just chillin' in the forest, eating leaves and nuts 
... while Lucy's crew was down on the ground, two-legged and whatnot 
.
. Like, we're still searching for our true ancestor? It's like, we've been running around this planet for millions of years and we still can't figure it out 
... maybe that's just the beauty of it all, right?
. The idea of coexistence is already mind-blowing, but the fact that A. deyiremeda spent most of its time in the trees eating leaves and fruits 
. I'm not surprised scientists are hyped about this find – it's definitely adding a new layer to our understanding of human evolution 
. Who knows, maybe we'll uncover more ancient secrets that challenge our current theories 
.
This new discovery about Australopithecus deyiremeda is lowkey mind-blowing... like, who knew there was another human relative out there that co-existed with Lucy? 
anyway i think it's kinda cool that they found more fossils but lets be real lucy's still the OG she's been around for like 3 million years and australopithecus deyiremeda's just some new kid on the block 
also what's with all the drama about coexistence between humans? its not like we're gonna find out if they had brunch together or something lol
. but it's crazy to think that we're not just talking about one "human" ancestor, but multiple ones. i'm so here for this new discovery and all the possibilities it brings! 
I mean, Lucy was always thought to be like the OG human, but now there's this new cousin that's throwing everything off. The fact that they lived together and had these huge differences in how they walked around? Mind blown 
i mean, its cool that scientists are still finding new things but can we just focus on our phones for a sec? 
. I mean, sure, she's got her two legs and all that jazz, but what about A. deyiremeda? She's like the cool aunt who actually knows how to climb trees and grab onto branches for real 
. And yeah, Lucy might've been a biped, but did she ever have to deal with forest fires or harsh weather conditions like A. deyiremeda likely did? I think it's time we give A. deyiremeda the recognition she deserves as our OG human ancestor 
. Let's ditch the whole "Lucy was human" narrative and start talking about how awesome and adaptable our ancient ancestors were 
.
. This is so exciting for science nerds like me!
like A. deyiremeda, who's got some crazy tree-grabbing skills. Can't help but wonder what their social dynamics were like, did they coexist peacefully or fight for resources? 
, but it turns out they might not have been as dominant as we thought 
. Like, come on guys, there's a whole lot more to the story now. And another thing, why do scientists have to make such a big deal about coexistence? Can't they just give us some straight answers for once? 
I feel like these new discoveries are a reminder that our ancestors were so much more complex and nuanced than we often give them credit for 
And I have to say, I love how scientists are still like "we don't know what we'll find next" - it's like they're perpetually excited about uncovering more secrets of our shared human history