3.4 million-year-old foot tells science Lucy had company.And it could have been a problem with our evolution

The research confirms that Lucy was not among the only hominid species present in Ethiopia at the time.Something that further complicates our evolutionary process.

A 3.4 million year old foot tells science that Lucy had company.And our evolution may have been wrong

Studies confirm that Lucy was not the only hominid species present in Ethiopia at that time.Something that further complicates our evolutionary process.

- An ankle from 4.4 million years ago tells science it needs to rethink what our common ancestor was like

- Follow El Confidencial on Google Discover to find out all the news

3.4 million-year-old footprints found in northern Ethiopia have re-examined the origins of humans, confirming that Lucy was not the only hominin in the region.The identification of the so-called iron foot has reopened the scientific debate on which groups can really represent our direct ancestors, a central issue of the study published in Nature.

Woranso-Mille researchers determined that the eight-foot-long bones came from the same geological layers where the remains of Australopithecus afarensis were found.However, anatomical analysis confirmed that they were not part of that species.Having an opposable big toe, typical of still arboreal hominids, was clearly different from the structure of Lucy's foot, whose bipedal movement had already been confirmed.to have

Evidence of coexistence of two species

PaleoAnthropologist Yesohannes Beauty-Celacie explained, that since the initial discovery was suspending that the feet belong to another hominid.er said: "When we found the feet in 2009 and it was known that it was interesting to be precise, we knew it is different from the species of Lucy."However, it was different from Lucy's species, a common question in Paleonthropology when the remains do not include a skull, jaw or dentition.

Newly Discovered Fossils Found in Ethiopia, Mysterious Legs, Famous Scientist, Famous Scientist: https://t.co/Fevgcle2g pic.twitter.com/q5HvikabQj

— AFP press agency (@AFP) November 27, 2025

After years of excavations in the same area, new fossils have allowed these pieces to be linked to remains previously used to describe Australopithecus deyiremeda.This connection strengthened the hypothesis that Burtele's foot belonged to a species that combined locomotion on the ground with climbing abilities, suggesting a way of life adapted to the forest environment in the heart of the Afar Valley.

Food and environmental differences

Researcher Naomi Levin's study of tooth enamel reveals that A. deiremeda uses mainly C3 plants, such as fruits and nuts, unlike A. afarensis, which expanded its diet to tropical grasses.This nutritional diversity will enable the two species to coexist without directly competing for the same resources, thus reinforcing the case of ecological diversity in which they develop.

The simultaneous existence of two distinct hominids suggests that human evolution was not a linear process. afarensis exhibited advanced bipedalism, while A. deirmeda retained traits associated with arboreal environments.This coexistence suggests that upright walking did not evolve in one way, but through different adaptations according to the needs of each species.

The discovery raises questions about human origins.Some characteristics of A. Deyrerosidad of Austropiteccus Africas, the habitat that is considered as the ancestor of the race.This opportunity opens up avenues of research that may change the interpretation of Lucy's work revealing more diverse examples than previously available.

- An ankle from 4.4 million years ago tells science that we need to think about what our common ancestor was like

- Mention El Discover on Google Discover to find all the news

A 3.4-million-year-old fossilized foot found in northern Ethiopia has re-examined the origins of the human lineage, confirming that Lucy was not the only hominid species in the area.The identification of the foot called Burtele has reopened the scientific debate as to which of these groups may actually represent our direct ancestor, the main topic of the study published in the journal Nature.

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