Scientists Unveil Fossils that Could Reshape Understanding of Human Evolution

Addis Ababa, August 13, 2025 (ENA)— Scientists working in Ethiopia’s Afar Region have announced the discovery of a new species of Australopithecus and the oldest specimen of the genus Homo, findings that could reshape our understanding of human evolution.

The fossils, unearthed by the Ledi-Geraru Research Project, reveal that two distinct human ancestors —Australopithecus and early Homo —once lived side by side in the Lower Awash Valley nearly 2.6 to 2.78 million years ago.

“This is the first time in eastern Africa that we have found evidence of these two lineages overlapping in time and space,” Co-director of Ledi-Geraru Research Project Professor Amy Rector said.

“Their potential coexistence brings up many questions, including how they competed on the landscape, how they evolved together in the Afar region, and ultimately, what it means to be human.”

The discoveries include 13 newly found hominin teeth collected between 2015 and 2018, it was learned. Among them is a premolar dated to about 2.78 million years ago, identified as belonging to early Homo—pushing back the known presence of the genus in the region.

Another set of teeth, slightly younger than 2.63 million years, has been identified as belonging to an entirely new Australopithecus species previously unknown to science.

“These teeth are the first Australopithecus species to be found surviving in the Lower Awash Valley after the disappearance of Lucy’s kind,” Professor Rector explained.

“In Ledi-Geraru, both Homo and Australopithecus existed during this critical time period, painting a far more complex picture of our family tree than previously imagined.”

Ethiopian Heritage Authority Director-General Abebaw Ayalew hailed the findings as “a paramount significance for Ethiopia and the world at large.”

He noted that “these discoveries put Ethiopia ahead of any country as the origin of mankind. Your research results are valuable both for you and for our country, not to mention the scientific community at large.”

The Ledi-Geraru Research Project, a collaboration between Arizona State University and the Ethiopian Heritage Authority since 2002, has made repeated expeditions to the Afar region, producing a series of important fossil finds.

The latest results will be published in Nature within hours, cementing Ethiopia’s role as a central hub for paleoanthropological research.

“These findings reaffirm Ethiopia’s unmatched contribution to revealing the story of human origins,” the Director-General added, noting government plans for a new national museum with a permanent exhibition dedicated to discoveries of such global importance.