Addis Ababa, August 13, 2025 (FMC) — A team of scientists working in Ethiopia’s Afar Region has unveiled the discovery of a previously unknown species of Australopithecus alongside the oldest known specimen of the genus Homo. The groundbreaking find could significantly reshape scientific understanding of human evolution.
Unearthed by the Ledi-Geraru Research Project, the fossils show that two distinct human ancestors — Australopithecus and early *Homo* — inhabited the Lower Awash Valley at the same time between 2.6 and 2.78 million years ago.
“This is the first evidence from eastern Africa showing these two lineages overlapping in both time and space,” said Professor Amy Rector, Co-director of the Ledi-Geraru Research Project. “Their potential coexistence raises fascinating questions — from how they interacted and competed for resources to how their evolutionary paths may have influenced each other in the Afar region, and ultimately, what it means to be human.”
The discoveries include 13 hominin teeth recovered between 2015 and 2018. Among them is a premolar dated to about 2.78 million years ago, attributed to early Homo — extending the known presence of the genus in the region further back in time. Another set of teeth, slightly younger at around 2.63 million years, has been identified as belonging to a completely new Australopithecus species, previously unknown to science.
“These teeth represent the first Australopithecus species found in the Lower Awash Valley after the disappearance of Lucy’s kind,” Professor Rector noted. “The fact that Homo and Australopithecus shared this critical time period paints a far more intricate picture of our evolutionary family tree than we previously imagined.”
Ethiopian Heritage Authority Director-General Abebaw Ayalew described the discovery as “of paramount significance for Ethiopia and the world at large.”
He added: “These findings put Ethiopia ahead of any other country as the cradle of humankind. Your research results hold immense value for you, for our country, and for the global scientific community.”
Since 2002, the Ledi-Geraru Research Project — a collaboration between Arizona State University and the Ethiopian Heritage Authority — has carried out repeated expeditions to the Afar region, yielding a succession of landmark fossil discoveries.
The latest findings are set to be published in Nature within hours, further cementing Ethiopia’s role as a global epicenter of paleoanthropological research. The Director-General also revealed government plans to establish a new national museum featuring a permanent exhibition dedicated to discoveries of such global significance.