A fossil footprint in northern Kenya hypothesized to have been created by a Homo erectus individual, is seen in this photograph released on November 28, 2024. Kevin G. Hatala, Chatham University /Handout via REUTERS
(Reuters) - About 1.5 million years ago, individuals of two different species in the human evolutionary lineage trudged on a muddy lakeshore in northern Kenya, leaving behind intersecting trackways alongside the footprints of antelopes, horses, warthogs, giant storks and other animals.
These tracks turned into fossils that scientists have now discovered at a location called Koobi Fora, providing the first evidence that these two species - Paranthropus boisei and Homo erectus - shared the same landscape, literally crossing paths. The discovery raises intriguing questions about the relationship between the two species and any competition for resources.
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