Kenyanthropus

Kenyanthropus means "man from Kenya" and is an ancient type of early human relative found near Lake Turkana in Kenya. Scientists discovered its fossils around 3.3 to 3.2 million years ago. This discovery was important because, before this, many believed that only one kind of early human relative, called Australopithecus afarensis, lived during that time. Kenyanthropus looked different from others, with a flat face and smaller teeth.

At the same place where Kenyanthropus fossils were found, scientists also discovered the earliest known stone tools. These tools were simple pieces made by hitting one rock against another. It is possible that Kenyanthropus made these tools, but we are not sure if other early human relatives were there too. The area where they lived had lakes, forests, and open grasslands, which provided many different foods and resources.

Taxonomy

Discovery

In August 1998, a worker named Blasto Onyango found a piece of an ancient upper jaw from an early human relative at a dig site called Lomekwi near Lake Turkana in Kenya. This was overseen by scientists Louise and Meave Leakey. A year later, another worker found a special skull with a very flat face at the same site. More pieces of early human relatives were found during these digs.

Age

The pieces were found close to a river called Lomekwi. By looking at layers of mud and rock, scientists figured out that these pieces are about 3.3 to 3.2 million years old, from a time called the Middle Pliocene.

Classification

In 2001, Meave Leakey and her team named this group of early human relatives Kenyanthropus platyops. The name Kenyanthropus means "man from Kenya," where these discoveries were made. The name platyops comes from an ancient word for "flat" and "face," describing the flat face of these early relatives.

Scientists have had a hard time figuring out how to group these ancient human relatives. Many different groups were named, making it confusing. Some scientists think there were many different groups, while others think there were fewer. Before Kenyanthropus was found, scientists thought there was only one main group of early human relatives living between 4 and 3 million years ago. The discovery of Kenyanthropus showed that there was more variety than people thought.

Anatomy

The fossil KNM-WT 40000 shows some changes that happened when it became a fossil. Scientists do not know if it was from a male or female.

Kenyanthropus had a flat face, especially the area between the nose and mouth. This flat face is the earliest example found in early human relatives. The nose hole was narrow, and the cheekbones were tall. The teeth of Kenyanthropus were smaller than those of other early human relatives. The brain size was probably similar to other early human relatives, but it is hard to tell because the skull is distorted.

Technology

In 2015, people who study old things found very old stone tools at a place called Lomekwi in Kenya. These tools are the oldest stone tools we know about, and they are about 3.3 million years old. The tools are made from different kinds of rock and have pieces called cores, flakes, and possible hammerstones.

The people who made these tools, possibly Kenyanthropus, used simple ways to shape the stones. These tools show that early humans could make and use tools, which helped them in their daily lives. Some scientists think these tools might have been put there later, but if the date is right, it means there was a long time before the next known stone tools were made.

Palaeoecology

Long ago, between 4.5 and 4 million years ago, Lake Turkana was much bigger than it is today, covering up to 28,000 km². By 3.6 to 3.2 million years ago, the area had many smaller lakes instead. The land around Lomekwi had both grasslands and forests near the water.

Scientists think that Kenyanthropus, Australopithecus afarensis, and Australopithecus deyiremeda all lived at the same time in this region. Because their bodies looked different in ways related to eating, they probably ate different kinds of food.