| Themes > Science > Paleontology / Paleozoology > Paleozoology > Fossil Hominids > Oldest Humanlike Fossils Found in Ethiopia |
Yohannes Haile-Selassie reports in the journal Nature, the remains include a jawbone and its teeth, a piece of a collarbone, fragments of arms, and most important - a single toe bone which convinces the team the creature walked upright, one of the hallmarks of our species. Over the last 30 years Ethiopia has been a virtual treasure trove of fossil discoveries beginning with the 3.2 million year old Lucy skeleton uncovered in 1974 by Donald Johanson and in 1994, Tim White announced the discovery of Ardipithicus ramidus dated to 4.4 million years. Both of these discoveries have reigned for a period of time as the oldest known human ancestor. The new discovery challenges older theories about our human origins and the environment that fostered the evolution of prehumans as they moved from the forests of Africa into the open savanna landscape. |
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