Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

New hominin genus from eastern Africa shows diverse middle Pliocene lineages

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Holotype KNM-WT 40000 a, left lateral view (markers indicate the plane separating the distorted neurocranium and the well-preserved face).
Figure 2: Map showing localities of fossil collection in upper Lomekwi and simplified geology.
Figure 3: Mean and range of characters of specified hominins.
Figure 4: Stratigraphic sections and placement of hominin specimens at sites in upper part of the Lomekwi drainage, west of Lake Turkana, northern Kenya.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Strait, D. S., Grine, F. E. & Moniz, M. A. A reappraisal of early hominid phylogeny. J. Hum. Evol. 32, 17–82 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ward, C., Leakey, M. & Walker, A. The new hominid species Australopithecus anamensis. Evol. Anthrop. 7, 197–205 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Brown, B., Brown, F. & Walker, A. New hominids from the Lake Turkana Basin, Kenya. J. Hum. Evol. (in the press).

  4. Wood, B. A. & Collard, M. C. The human genus. Science 284, 65–71 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Leakey, M. G., Feibel, C. S., McDougall, I. & Walker, A. C. New four-million-year-old hominid species from Kanapoi and Allia Bay, Kenya. Nature 376, 565–571 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Leakey, M. G., Feibel, C. S., McDougall, I., Ward, C. & Walker, A. New specimens and confirmation of an early age for Australopithecus anamensis. Nature 393, 62–66 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kimbel, W. H., Johanson, D. C. & Rak, Y. Systematic assessment of a maxilla of Homo from Hadar, Ethiopia. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 103, 235–262 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Wood, B. A. Koobi Fora Research Project Vol. 4 (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Lockwood, C. A. & Tobias, P. V. A large male hominin cranium from Sterkfontein, South Africa, and the status of Australopithecus africanus. J. Hum. Evol. 36, 637–685 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bilsborough, A. & Wood, B. A. Cranial morphometry of early hominids: facial region. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76, 61–86 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rak, Y. The Australopithecine Face (Academic, New York, 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Lockwood, C. A., Kimbel, W. H. & Johanson, D. C. Temporal trends and metric variation in the mandibles and dentition of Australopithecus afarensis. J. Hum. Evol. 39, 23–55 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Moggi-Cecchi, J., Tobias, P. V. & Beynon, A. D. The mixed denitition and associated skull fragments of a juvenile fossil hominid from Sterkfontein, South Africa. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 106, 425–465 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Robinson, J. T. The dentition of the Australopithecinae. Transv. Mus. Mem. 9, 1–179 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  15. McCollum, M. A. The robust australopithecine face: a morphogenetic perspective. Science 284, 301–305 (1999).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Brunet, M. et al. Australopithecus bahrelghazali, une nouvelle espèce d’Hominidé ancien de la région de Koro Toro (Tchad). C.R. Acad. Sci. Ser. IIa 322, 907–913 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  17. White, T. D., Suwa, G., Simpson, S. & Asfaw, B. Jaws and teeth of A. afarensis from Maka, Middle Awash, Ethiopia. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 111, 45–68 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. White, T. D., Suwa, G. & Asfaw, B. Australopithecus ramidus, a new species of early hominid from Aramis, Ethiopia. Nature 371, 306–312 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Wood, B. & Collard, M. The changing face of genus Homo. Evol. Anthrop. 8, 195–207 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Harrison, T. in Species, Species Concepts, and Primate Evolution (eds Kimbel, W. H. & Martin, L. B.) 345–371 (Plenum, New York, 1993).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  21. Kimbel, W. H. Identification of a partial cranium of Australopithecus afarensis from the Koobi Fora Formation. J. Hum. Evol. 17, 647–656 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Harris, J. M., Brown, F. & Leakey, M. G. Stratigraphy and paleontology of Pliocene and Pleistocene localities west of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Cont. Sci. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles 399, 1–128 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Feibel, C. S., Brown, F. H. & McDougall, I. Stratigraphic context of fossil hominids from the Omo Group deposits, northern Turkana Basin, Kenya and Ethiopia. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 78, 595–622 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. McDougall, I., Brown, F. H., Cerling, T. E. & Hillhouse, J. W. A reappraisal of the geomagnetic polarity time scale to 4 Ma using data from the Turkana Basin, East Africa. Geophys. Res. Lett. 19, 2349–2352 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Walter, R. C. & Aronson, J. L. Age and source of the Sidi Hakoma Tuff, Hadar Formation, Ethiopia. J. Hum. Evol. 25, 229–240 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Brown, F. H. & Feibel, C. S. in Koobi Fora Research Project, Vol. 3, Stratigraphy, artiodactyls and paleoenvironments (ed. Harris, J. M.) 1–30 (Clarendon, Oxford, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Feibel, C. S., Harris, J. M. & Brown, F. H. in Koobi Fora Research Project, Vol. 3, Stratigraphy, artiodactyls and paleoenvironments (ed. Harris, J. M.) 321–346 (Clarendon, Oxford, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Johanson, D. C., Taieb, M. & Coppens, Y. Pliocene hominids from the Hadar Formation, Ethiopia (1973–1977): stratigraphic, chronologic and paleoenvironmental contexts, with notes on hominid morphology and systematics. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 57, 373–402 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Brunet, M. et al. The first australopithecine 2,500 kilometres west of the Rift Valley (Chad). Nature 378, 273–240 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Leakey, M. D. & Harris, J. M. Laetoli, a Pliocene Site in Northern Tanzania (Clarendon, Oxford, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Harris, J. M. in Laetoli, a Pliocene Site in Northern Tanzania (eds Leakey, M. D. & Harris, J. M.) 524–531 (Clarendon, Oxford, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Kimbel, W. H. et al. Late Pliocene Homo and Oldowan tools from the Hadar Formation (Kadar Hadar Member), Ethiopia. J. Hum. Evol. 31, 549–561 (1996).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Eck, G. G. in Theropithecus, the Rise and Fall of a Primate Genus (ed. Jablonski, N. G.) 15–83 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1993).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  34. White, T. D. New fossil hominids from Laetolil, Tanzania. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 46, 197–230 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Wood, B. Origin and evolution of the genus Homo. Nature 355, 783–790 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Suwa, G. et al. The first skull of Australopithecus boisei. Nature 389, 489–492 (1997).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Keyser, A. W. The Drimolen skull: the most complete australopithecine cranium and mandible to date. S. Afr. J. Sci. 96, 189–193 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Kimbel, W. H., White, T. D. & Johanson, D. C. Cranial morphology of Australopithecus afarensis: a comparative study based on a composite reconstruction of the adult skull. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 64, 337–388 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Walker, A., Leakey, R. E., Harris, J. H. & Brown, F. H. 2.5-Myr Australopithecus boisei from west of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Nature 322, 517–522 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. Kimbel, W. H., White, T. D. & Johanson, D. C. in Evolutionary History of the “Robust” Australopithecines (ed. Grine, F. E.) 259–268 (Aldine de Gruyter, New York, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Asfaw, B. et al. Australopithecus garhi: A new species of early hominid from Ethiopia. Science 284, 629–635 (1999).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Grine, F. E. & Strait, D. S. New hominid fossils from Member 1 “Hanging Remnant” Swartkrans Formation, South Africa. J. Hum. Evol. 26, 57–75 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Johanson, D. C., White, T. D. & Coppens, Y. Dental remains from the Hadar Formation, Ethiopia: 1974–1977 collections. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 57, 545–603 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Tobias, P. V. in Olduvai Gorge Vol. 4 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  45. McDougall, I. K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dating of the hominid-bearing Pliocene–Pleistocene sequence at Koobi Fora, Lake Turkana, northern Kenya. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 96, 159–175 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Brown, F. H., Shuey, R. T. & Croes, M. K. Magnetostratigraphy of the Shungura and Usno Formations, southwestern Ethiopia: new data and comprehensive reanalysis. Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc. 54, 519–538 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  47. Haileab, B. Geochemistry, Geochronology and Tephrostratigraphy of Tephra from the Turkana Basin, Southern Ethiopia and Northern Kenya. Thesis, Univ. Utah (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  48. deMenocal, P. B. & Brown, F. H. in Hominin Evolution and Climatic Change in Europe Vol. 1 (eds Agustí, J., Rook, L. & Andrews, P.) 23–54 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1999).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  49. Senut, B. et al. First hominid from the Miocene (Lukeino Formation, Kenya). C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 332, 137–144 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the Government of Kenya for permission to carry out this research and the National Museums of Kenya for logistical support. The National Geographic Society funded the field work and some laboratory studies. Neutron irradiations were facilitated by the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. We also thank the Ethiopian Ministry of Information and Culture, the National Museum of Ethiopia, B. Asfaw, Y. Bayene, C. Howell, D. Johanson, W. Kimbel, G. Suwa and T. White for permission to make comparisons with the early Ethiopian hominins and numerous people including N. Adamali, B. Asfaw, C. Dean, C. Feibel, A. Griffiths, W. Kimbel, R. Kruszynski, K. Kupczik, R. Leakey, D. Lieberman, J. Moore, K. Patel, D. Plummer, K. Reed, B. Sokhi, M. Tighe, T. White, and B. Wood for their help. Caltex (Kenya) provided fuel for the field expeditions, and R. Leakey allowed us the use of his aeroplane. The field expedition members included U. Bwana, S. Crispin, G. Ekalale, M. Eragae, J. Erus, J. Ferraro, J. Kaatho, N. Kaling, P. Kapoko, R. Lorinyok, J. Lorot, S. Hagemann, B. Malika, W. Mangao, S. Muge, P. Mulinge , D. Mutinda, K. Muthyoka, N. Mutiwa, W. Mutiwa, B. Onyango, E. Weston and J. Wynn. A. Ibui, F. Kyalo, F. Kirera, N. Malit, E. Mbua, M. Muungu, J. Ndunda, S. Ngui and A. Mwai provided curatorial assistance. The Leakey Foundation awarded a grant to F.B.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meave G. Leakey.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Leakey, M., Spoor, F., Brown, F. et al. New hominin genus from eastern Africa shows diverse middle Pliocene lineages. Nature 410, 433–440 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35068500

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35068500

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing