Ape-like hominin Paranthropus was more adaptable than we thought

 

Illustration of Paranthropus hominins, which lived between 2.7 and 1.4 million years ago. Image courtesy of John Bavaro Fine Art/Science Photo Library

Joel Kontinen

A fossil discovery in northern Ethiopia expands the known range of Paranthropus, a genus of strong-jawed hominins that lived around 2 million years ago, and suggests they lived in a range of habitats.

For the first time, the remains of ancient hominins called Paranthropus have been found in the remote Afar region of Ethiopia. The discovery dramatically expands the area over which Paranthropus roamed, and suggests they lived in a wide range of ecosystems.

Paranthropus remains are known from eastern and southern Africa, between 2.7 and 1.4 million years ago. They are thought to be closely related to Homo, the group that includes modern humans and Neanderthals. They may have evolved from earlier hominins called Australopithecus.

That is the evolutionary tale of the fossil. We believe that it was crated that way. And the tale of millions of years is also fictional.

 Source:

Michael Marshall 2026 Ape-like hominin Paranthropus was more adaptable than we thought | New Scientist 21 January