Scientists announced that they have discovered a new human species. Researchers continue their discoveries that will shed light on human history. In a new study, scientists announced that they had reanalyzed ancient fossils found in Africa and Europe. As a result of their analysis, the team found that a skull found in Ethiopia belonged to a different human species.
Scientists named the species they discovered Homo bodoensis. In addition, the researchers explained their findings about the fossil.
Newly discovered human species lived 500,000 years ago
Examining the skull discovered in Africa, researchers noticed that the species was different from those previously discovered. Researchers believe that this skull belongs to a direct ancestor of modern humans.
However, scientists named the new species Homo bodoensis. They explained that Homo bodoensis lived during the Middle Pleistocene, about 500,000 years ago.
Homo bodoensis may help unravel how human lineages move and interact across the globe. (Ettore Mazza)
According to the news of the Daily Mail, researchers from the University of Winnipeg said that this discovery will offer new information about the Pleistocene Era. There is very little information about human evolution at that time. This newly discovered human species could complete a missing link.
The researchers reassessed existing fossils from Africa and Eurasia that date to the Middle Pleistocene period. These fossils were generally identified as either Homo heidelbergensis or Homo rhodesiensis. However, recent DNA results showed that some fossils identified in Europe as H. heidelbergensis were actually the first Neanderthals. In addition, the fact that African fossils from this period were previously identified as both H. heidelbergensis and H. rhodesiensis confused things.
What do we know about Homo bodoensis?
In the new study, scientists realized that a skull discovered in Bodo D’ar, Ethiopia, was neither H. heidelbergensis nor H. rhodesiensis. The team suggests it’s an entirely new type of human being. The team named the species H. bodoensis, naming it after where the skull was discovered.
A drawing depicting Homo bodoensis. (Ettore Mazza)
Also, little is known about this new human species yet. However, researchers think that H. bodoensis is short in stature to conserve heat in colder climates. Males are probably about 1.75 cm tall, while females average 157 cm. By the way, males have an average weight of 64 kg, while females weigh 50 kilograms.
The species went extinct about 200,000 years ago, long before modern humans migrated from Africa. Scientists have been chasing these species for many years. There are still many gaps in human evolution. Research continues to find the findings of these periods.
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