New hominin genus from eastern Africa shows diverse middle Pliocene lineages

Meave G. Leakey (), Fred Spoor, Frank H. Brown, Patrick N. Gathogo, Christopher Kiarie, Louise N. Leakey and Ian McDougall
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Meave G. Leakey: National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658
Fred Spoor: University College London
Frank H. Brown: University of Utah
Patrick N. Gathogo: University of Utah
Christopher Kiarie: National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658
Louise N. Leakey: National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658
Ian McDougall: Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University

Nature, 2001, vol. 410, issue 6827, 433-440

Abstract: Abstract Most interpretations of early hominin phylogeny recognize a single early to middle Pliocene ancestral lineage, best represented by Australopithecus afarensis, which gave rise to a radiation of taxa in the late Pliocene. Here we report on new fossils discovered west of Lake Turkana, Kenya, which differ markedly from those of contemporary A. afarensis, indicating that hominin taxonomic diversity extended back, well into the middle Pliocene. A 3.5 Myr-old cranium, showing a unique combination of derived facial and primitive neurocranial features, is assigned to a new genus of hominin. These findings point to an early diet-driven adaptive radiation, provide new insight on the association of hominin craniodental features, and have implications for our understanding of Plio–Pleistocene hominin phylogeny.

Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1038/35068500

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