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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
New fossils from Koobi Fora in northern Kenya confirm taxonomic diversity in early Homo
Nature, Volume 488, No. 7410, Year 2012
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Description
Since its discovery in 1972 (ref. 1), the cranium KNM-ER 1470 has been at the centre of the debate over the number of species of early Homo present in the early Pleistocene epoch of eastern Africa. KNM-ER 1470 stands out among other specimens attributed to early Homo because of its larger size, and its flat and subnasally orthognathic face with anteriorly placed maxillary zygomatic roots. This singular morphology and the incomplete preservation of the fossil have led to different views as to whether KNM-ER 1470 can be accommodated within a single species of early Homo that is highly variable because of sexual, geographical and temporal factors, or whether it provides evidence of species diversity marked by differences in cranial size and facial or masticatory adaptation. Here we report on three newly discovered fossils, aged between 1.78 and 1.95 million years (Myr) old, that clarify the anatomy and taxonomic status of KNM-ER 1470. KNM-ER 62000, a well-preserved face of a late juvenile hominin, closely resembles KNM-ER 1470 but is notably smaller. It preserves previously unknown morphology, including moderately sized, mesiodistally long postcanine teeth. The nearly complete mandible KNM-ER 60000 and mandibular fragment KNM-ER 62003 have a dental arcade that is short anteroposteriorly and flat across the front, with small incisors; these features are consistent with the arcade morphology of KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 62000. The new fossils confirm the presence of two contemporary species of early Homo, in addition to Homo erectus, in the early Pleistocene of eastern Africa. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Leakey, Meave G.
Kenya, Nairobi
Turkana Basin Institute
United States, Stony Brook
Stony Brook University
Spoor, Fred
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
United Kingdom, London
University College London
Dean, M. Christopher
United Kingdom, London
University College London
Feibel, Craig S.
United States, New Brunswick
Rutgers University–new Brunswick
Antón, Susan C.
United States, New York
New York University
Kiarie, Christopher
Kenya, Nairobi
Turkana Basin Institute
Leakey, Louise S.B.
Kenya, Nairobi
Turkana Basin Institute
United States, Stony Brook
Stony Brook University
Statistics
Citations: 159
Authors: 7
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1038/nature11322
ISSN:
00280836
e-ISSN:
14764687
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Sexual And Reproductive Health
Study Locations
Kenya