Australopithecus garhi and Kenyanthopus platyops

Australopithecus garhi

• Found in the Middle Awash region of Ethiopia.
• Dated to 2.5 mya (million years ago), which is younger than Au. afarensis.
• Fills a temporal gap between hominin finds in the region.
• Anatomical Differences:
  • Relatively large cranial capacity of 450 cc.
  • Larger hind dentition than other gracile Australopithecines.
  • Longer hind limbs than Au. afarensis, but still capable of arboreal movement.
• Fossil Record:
  • Not well-documented and based on limited fossil specimens.
• Tool Use:
  • Crude stone tools resembling Oldowan tools found in association with Au. garhi.
  • These tools are among the earliest technologies found with a hominin.

Kenyanthopus platyops

• Discovery:
  • A specimen (KNM-WT 40000) from Lake Turkana in Kenya.
  • Discovered by Maeve Leakey in 1999.
  • The name "platyops" refers to its flatter-faced appearance.
• Dating:
  • Dated to between 3.5 mya and 3.2 mya.
• Taxonomic Debate:
  • Some suggest it is an Australopithecus, possibly even Au. afarensis (with a seemingly small brain size).
  • Others place it in Homo due to small dentition and a flat, orthognathic face.
• Arguments for Homo Ancestry:
  • Discoverers argue this species is ancestral to Homo, particularly Homo ruldolfensis.
• Tool Association:
  • Researchers have linked the earliest tool finds from Lomekwi, Kenya (dated to 3.3 mya) to this specimen due to close geographic proximity.