Footprints show two species of ancient human relatives shared the same ground at the same time
Ancient footprints discovered in Kenya belong to two different species of human relatives who walked on the same ground at the same time 1.5 million years ago, a study found.
A newly discovered set of footprints in Kenya provides the first evidence that two different species of ancient human relatives walked the same ground simultaneously 1.5 million years ago.
The researchers behind the finding say the footprints belong to the species Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei and were left within hours or days of one another — which opens up new mysteries about what happened when the two crossed paths.
According to a study about the discovery, published Thursday in the journal Science, the footprints were embedded in dried mud near a lake in northern Kenya and buried in sediment at a prominent fossil site. By analyzing the prints’ shapes and strike patterns, researchers found that the two sets were distinct; the best explanation, they concluded, is that two different species left the tracks.
The study adds to a growing understanding among anthropologists and paleontologists that ancient human relatives likely interacted and co-existed. And, by extension, it raises questions about what kind of relationship the species had.
“We think that these individuals, these two species that were there, probably would have been aware there were members of another species nearby. They would have seen each other and recognized each other as different species, which raises questions about what those interactions would have been like,” said Kevin Hatala, an associate professor of biology at Chatham University and a lead author of the research. “Were they competitors? Were they totally OK with each other being there?”
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