Key Points
- Researchers have compiled data from 117 studies, spanning 60 years, into a single catalog of hominin fossils from the Omo-Turkana Basin.
- The Omo-Turkana Basin has provided about one-third of Africa’s hominin fossil record from a key period of human evolution.
- The study reveals basin-wide patterns in fossil distribution, preservation, and the co-existence of different hominin species.
- Early Homo and Paranthropus co-existed in the region for 1.5 million years, with Paranthropus generally being more abundant.
A group of researchers has compiled data from over 100 studies to create a comprehensive catalog of hominin fossils from the Omo-Turkana Basin in Africa. This region has been one of the most important places for studying human evolution for the past 60 years. The new research, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, analyzes these combined findings to understand better how our early ancestors evolved and coexisted.
The Omo-Turkana Basin, which covers parts of Kenya and Ethiopia, has yielded about one-third of Africa’s hominin fossils from the period between 7 and 0.78 million years ago.
A total of 1,231 hominin specimens have been found there, but the data from these discoveries have been scattered and fragmented. This new study aimed to bring all this information together in one place.
By compiling all the published data, the researchers were able to see larger, basin-wide patterns. They found that the fossils were unevenly distributed, with most coming from the eastern part of the basin. The most common type of fossil found was teeth. Interestingly, the study also found that different types of skeletal remains occurred in different areas, likely due to the environments in which the fossils were preserved.
The fossil record from the Omo-Turkana Basin tells a unique story. It’s nearly continuous for the 2.7-million-year period between 4.2 and 1.5 million years ago. During this time, the region was home to a number of early hominins, starting with Australopithecus anamensis and later including various Homo species.
One of the study’s significant findings is that early Homo is well-represented in the fossil record between 2.7 and 2 million years ago. During this time, Homo co-existed with another genus, Paranthropus, for 1.5 million years. Generally, Paranthropus fossils were found to be twice as common as Homo fossils.
The researchers note that many fossils remain fully described, and more studies are ongoing in the region. This means there will surely be many more discoveries to come.
