Two distinct species of hominids, ancestors of the current human species, Homo erectus And Paranthropus boisei, trod the shores of an ancient lake a few hours apart. Researchers led by Kevin Hatala from Chatham University uncovered their footprints, discovered in 2021 by the team of paleontologist Louise Leakey in the Turkana basin. Excavated the following summer, they finally revealed their secrets; the research team’s findings were published yesterday in the magazine Science.
Until now, scientists believed that these two hominid species, although contemporary, occupied distinct ecological niches and had few interactions.
A fossilized snapshot of ancestral cohabitation
Both bipedal and agile, these two species traveled the same shore in a remarkably short interval. Homo erectusconsidered one of our direct ancestors, left his footprints alongside those of Paranthropus boiseia cousin species characterized by a broad face and the largest teeth of any primate.
This coexistence is not entirely surprising – fossil remains of the two species had already been found together, notably at the Drimolen site in South Africa – but it is the first time that such direct proof their temporal proximity is highlighted.
Competitors or friends?
Researchers used cutting-edge 3D imaging technologies to analyze these prints in order to understand more precisely the behavior of our two ancestors. William Harcourt-Smith, paleoanthropologist at the American Museum of Natural History explained in another article accompanying this research: “ According to the researchers, the proximity of the prints suggests that Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei shared the same territory and coexisted without much rivalry. “.
This hypothesis is particularly interesting, because it evokes an analogous pattern of coexistence to that observed later between different species of hominids, including our own species, Homo sapienswho cohabited with Neanderthals and Denisovans. They occupied these territories for hundreds of thousands of years before the arrival of our species.
These fossilized footprints provide an extraordinary window into our evolutionary past, allowing researchers to better understand not only the chronology of our lineage, but also the complex interactions who have shaped our history. Many questions still remain the exact nature of the relationships between the two species : were there any exchanges of knowledge, techniques or behavior between our two cousins? Is it that Homo erectus And Paranthropus boisei were close enough to have interbred?
Let us remember, however, that we cannot draw conclusions. from a single site. The relationships between different hominid species may have varied considerably depending on regions, periods and environmental contexts. However, this discovery remains no less exceptional and contrasts with the image long conveyed of a necessarily violent and competitive prehistory.
- Homo erectus And Paranthropus boisei traveled the same shore within hours of each other 1.5 million years ago.
- Fossilized footprints reveal for the first time their temporal and territorial proximity.
- The two species would have coexisted peacefully, sharing the same habitat without strong rivalry.
