Two Paranthropus teeth were recovered from Nyayanga. S. E. Bailey, Homa Peninsula Paleoanthropology Project. Credit: Author provided
On the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya, a short valley extends south towards the looming Mount Homa. From it have emerged some of the oldest-known stone tools used to butcher large animals, as well as the oldest remains of one of our early cousins, Paranthropus—a genus we think co-existed with our direct ancestors.
Similar tool and fossil discoveries had been made before, in different places and at different times. But to find these all together in one place, as old as they are, is truly extraordinary.
In research published today in Science, we explain how findings at the Nyayanga site are changing the way experts think about carnivory among hominins—a group that includes modern humans, extinct humans, direct ancestors and close cousins.
It also raises doubt about who was really responsible for making the stone tools we’d previously attributed to Homo and closely related species.
Fossils on the Homa Peninsula
Nyayanga is a typical pastoral valley situated on the Homa Peninsula in western Kenya. This peninsula has long been known to produce various fossils. In 1996, a multidisciplinary team led by one of us (Thomas) began work on a two-million-year-old site called Kanjera South. This work produced a wealth of fossil remains from large mammals, as well as stone tools associated with our genus, Homo.
During a field season at Kanjera South, a local man named Peter Onyango who was working with the team suggested we investigate some fossils and stone tools eroding out of a valley on the shores of Lake Victoria. This new site, named Nyayanga after the nearby beach, was situated on a donkey track leading to the lake.
The first stone tools and…
2023-02-11 07:20:01
Source from phys.org
Two Paranthropus teeth were discovered at the Nyayanga site on the Homa Peninsula in Kenya. Research published in Science has revealed that the site contains stone tools and fossil remains of large mammals, as well as stone tools associated with the genus Homo. The findings challenge the idea of who was responsible for making the stone tools previously attributed to Homo and closely related species.
Archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery that sheds light on ancient human behavior. In Ethiopia, they have uncovered large stone tools that are 2.9 million years old and were used to butcher ancient hippos. It is an unprecedented discovery that gives us early insight into the lives of our distant ancestors.
The tools were found at the Dikika paleontological site in Ethiopia, a region famed for its ancient human fossils and artifacts. The tools closely resembled those used by hominins living at the same time, fuelling speculation that the tools found were made by the same species responsible for the artifacts – Australopithecus afarensis.
However, experts now conclude that the tools were most likely not crafted by our early ancestors. Rather, the tools were likely created by an extinct species of carnivorous mammal, with the archaeological evidence providing clues about the extinct species’ behavior.
The carnivorous species, which is yet to be named, lived a nomadic lifestyle and closely resembled the modern day hyena. Like their modern-day counterparts, they would have scavenged the remains of dead animals and used the tools to dismember the carcass and consume the flesh.
Although these animals were unlikely the creators of the tools, this discovery still has implications for understanding the lives of our distant ancestors. It shows that early hominins lived in Africa alongside other more sophisticated creatures and had to compete with them for resources.
The archaeological evidence provides a glimpse into the lives of our distant ancestors, who have been living in Africa for at least 2.9 million years. The discoveries show how our genus, Homo, evolved from more primitive hominins and how primitive human societies were shaped over such a long time period.
This ancient discovery adds to our understanding of ancient human behavior and will no doubt spark further debate about the development of early hominin societies.