A groundbreaking discovery in northern Kenya has uncovered evidence that two extinct human relatives, Paranthropus boisei and Homo erectus, shared the same habitat and possibly interacted around 1.5 million years ago. The footprints found at the Turkana Basin provide direct proof of coexistence between these distinct species.
Researchers led by Kevin Hatala, an evolutionary anthropologist, analyzed four sets of preserved footprints in the mud. They believe that Paranthropus boisei created a continuous trail of prints, while Homo erectus left behind three single footprints with higher arches, indicating a more human-like gait.
The discovery raises questions about the extent of species interactions and how these ancient humans lived together. Dr. Hatala suggests that it’s possible they walked by each other, but their behavior and perceptions may have been different due to distinct anatomies and gaits.
This finding adds to the existing knowledge of human evolution, as scientists previously knew that different hominin species coexisted on Earth. However, evidence of species overlap and behavior differences was mostly inferred from bones, which can be preserved irregularly or in sediments over millions of years.
Footprints, on the other hand, provide a clear snapshot of locomotion patterns and fossilize more straightforwardly, offering insights into ancient behaviors. The discovery of these footprints in Kenya is significant, as it confirms earlier findings of distinct hominin species coexisting around 3.6 million years ago in Tanzania.
The researchers’ analysis suggests that Paranthropus boisei and Homo erectus may have lived alongside each other for thousands of years without direct competition, leading to intriguing questions about how they might have regarded each other.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/28/science/footprints-ancient-kenya.html