Lucy had neighbors: Older human ancestor found.
Two human ancestor species coexisted over 3.3 million years ago in Ethiopia.
Why it matters
- First evidence of two human ancestor species coexisting in the same region and time period.
- Changes our understanding of human evolution.
By the numbers
- Two species: Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy) and Australopithecus deyiremeda.
- Time period: over 3.3 million years ago.
- Location: Ethiopia's Afar Rift.
- Distance between remains: within 5 kilometers (3 miles).
- A. deyiremeda foot bones suggest better tree-climbing abilities than Lucy's species.
The big picture
- Different lifestyles and diets suggest they avoided competition despite living close together.
Caveats
- Interpretations of fossil evidence can vary.
What’s next
- Further studies to understand more about the lifestyles and interactions of these species.