US EditionA Legendary Fossil Is Forcing Scientists to Rethink Human Origins
Digital reconstruction reveals unique facial features of Little Foot, suggesting it may represent a distinct lineage separate from known Australopithecus species, researchers say.
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The 3.67 million-year-old fossil face was assembled numerically by paleoanthropologists, who reveal it this Monday, March 2. Among them, Amélie Beaudet, researcher at the CNRS, tells this new stage in the study of the links between the species and the appearance of the genus Homo.
A legendary fossil is forcing scientists to rethink human origins
One of the most complete human ancestor fossils ever found may belong to an entirely new species, according to an international research team. The famous “Little Foot” skeleton from South Africa has long been debated, but new analysis suggests it doesn’t truly match any known Australopithecus species. Instead, researchers say its unique mix of features points to a previously unidentified human relative, reshaping ideas about early human diversit…
Thanks to synchrotron technology and supercomputers, Little Foot's face, the most complete Australopithecus skeleton, has been reconstructed into 3D. This world premiere, the fruit of more than five years of work, reveals unexpected features, such as large orbits and a resemblance to the hominins of East Africa, enlightening our own evolution with new light.
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