Ethiopia Gets Hominid Fossil

Ethiopia gets hominid fossil

ADDIS ABABA, July 10 (Xinhua) — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Tuesday scientists working at the Woranso-Mille area of north Ethiopia’s Afar region have recovered hominid fossils.

The hominid fossils prove to be a bridge to establishing a relationship between the earlier Australopithecus anamensis (4.2-3. 9 million years) and the later Australopithecus afarensis (3-3.6 million years) early human species.

The official Ethiopian news agency reported that more than 1, 900 vertebrate fossil specimens were discovered in four consecutive field seasons in the Woranso-Mille area.

The report said scientists recovered fossil hominids that date to between 3.5 and 3.8 million years ago.

The project team found isolated teeth from this time frame during its earlier field seasons. However, during the 2007 field season, they recovered more complete jaws that are important to conduct comparative analysis.

At least 40 hominid specimens have been recovered thus far, including a number of complete jaws found in 2007, and a partial skeleton found in 2005.

These join the more than 1,900 vertebrate fossil specimens discovered in four consecutive field seasons in the Woranso-Mille area. A total of more than 35 mammalian species in more than 20 genera have been sampled to date.

A total of more than 35 mammalian species in more than 20 genera have been sampled to date.

The Woranso-Mille area ia a paleontological site, located in the central Afar region.

Researchers have hypothesized an ancestor-descendant relationship between Australopithecus anamensis and Australopithecus afarensis species based on their similarities.

However, until now, there has been no hominid fossil record from the 3.6-3.9 million years time frame to determine this relationship, according to the Ethiopian news agency.

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