One of the most complete Human ancestor A new study shows that the fossils ever found could be an entirely new species.
The fossil found in Sterkfontein Caves in South Africa In 1998, he named it “Littlefoot”, and is widely believed to be a member of the Littlefoot organization. Australopithecus A race of upright human ancestors who lived between 3 million and 1.95 million years ago.
When the fossil was first revealed to the world in 2017, it was attributed to this species Australopithecus Prometheus. But many experts confirmed that it belongs to her Australopithecus africanus.
Now, a new study suggests that Little Foot shares no unique traits with either species, raising the possibility that it may represent an entirely new species.
Anthropologist Jesse Martin from La Trobe University said: “This fossil remains one of the most important discoveries in the hominin record, and its true identity is key to understanding our evolutionary past.”
“We think it is clear that this is not the case Prometheus or African. “This is most likely a previously unidentified human relative,” said Dr. Martin, author of the new study published in the journal Science. American Journal of Biological Anthropology.
“Our findings challenge the current classification of Little Foot and highlight the need for more accurate and evidence-based classification in human evolution.”
Jesse Martin holding a 3D version of the skull of a tiny foot (La Trobe University)
“We found that the form preserved by StW 573 does not support the assignment of that sample to it Prometheus Because they do not share a unique set of primitive and derived features in common with Prometheus “Sample type MLD 1,” the researchers said in the latest study.
In future studies, scientists hope to test and clarify what species Little Foot represents and its position in the human family tree.
“It’s obviously different from the type of sample Australopithecus Prometheus“This name was specific to the idea that these early humans made fire, which we now know they did not do,” said anthropologist Andy Herries, another author of the study.
“Its importance and difference from other contemporary fossils clearly demonstrate the need to define it as its own unique species.”