Kenyanthropus platyops is a hominin species whose fossil skull was found in 1999. This specimen existed approximately 3.5 million years ago, indicating that, within the geological timescale, it is located in the period known as Pliocene, the which begins 5.33 million years ago.
The Kenyanthropus platyops fossil was discovered in Kenya by a team of anthropologists led by Meave Leakey and her daughter Louise in Kenya. Specifically, in a semi-desert area near Lake Turkana, located in the Great Rift Valley, considered a large geological fracture that is almost 5000 kilometers long.
Rama, from Wikimedia Commons
characteristics
The name of this fossil means "Kenyan man", due to its similarity in facial structure with Homo sapiens and its place of discovery. Likewise, it is known for its small stature, since it measures only 1.5 meters.
Another aspect that characterizes it is its antiquity, since it is curious that a species with such fine features existed 3.5 million years ago. Furthermore, it was established that males could weigh about 50 kg, while females would weigh about 38 kg.
The Kenyanthropus platyops is very striking thanks to its features, which are a very delicate mix between the appearance of the Australopithecus species and the Homo species.
The Kenyanthropus basically has small teeth, a flat face and an unusual flattened subnasal region, which makes it similar to the physiognomic makeup of modern man.
Controversies
Because of having these crossbreed traits between Australopithecus and Homo species, the scientists decided to define the genus Kenyanthropus. However, according to the discoverers, the skull of this specimen closely resembles the KNM-ER 1470 fossil, found years ago in the same region.
This fossil was classified as Homo rudolfensis and its age is much less, since it dates back to approximately 1.8 million years. However, it cannot be guaranteed that Kenianthropus platyops belongs to this species, since the skull found is strongly deformed.
Likewise, through a craniodental study of these two hominids it was determined that there is insufficient support to corroborate the possible link between both findings.
Some scientists even establish that the Kenyanthropus is most likely part of the same clade (that is, it belongs to the same branch within the phylogenetic tree).
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Many authors consider that the finding of Kenyanthropus cannot be defined as another valid genus or species, since in fact it could be a variation of the Australopithecus afarensis specimen, which had a thin texture and existed for the same time as Kenyanthropus (between 3.9 and 3 million years).
In other words, due to the lack of evidence, it cannot be said that it is a new genus among hominid species; Rather, this specimen could be designated Australopithecus platyops; that is to say, a variant among the Australopithecus species.
Cranial capacity
The skull that was found was complete and in good condition, but had to be rebuilt with a large number of small pieces. As previously mentioned, the Kenyanthropus has the peculiarity of having a flat face and small teeth.
Regarding its cranial capacity, it is very similar to specimen 1470, the one corresponding to Homo rudolfensis. However, the difference in size is said to be almost double. This means that the size of the brain must be between 400 and 500 cc.
Tools
Little is known about the tools that these particular hominins used, but their lifestyle is said to have been very similar to that of the afarensis species.
Due to the controversies that this hominid represents, it is difficult for researchers to know its habits, since it is an isolated species.
Other curiosities
Although there is not much information about its utensils, it is known that its small auditory canal was similar to that of the chimpanzee and that of the hominids that lived about 4 million years ago in East Africa, such as Australophitecus anamensis and Ardipithecus ramidus.
The Kenyanthropus is more primitive than the famous Lucy; however, their facial features represent an evolution in cranial structure.
Feeding
Currently, most primates are herbivores, feeding mostly on leaves, fruits and shrubs, while man is the only species of primate that is omnivorous; In other words, it feeds on almost everything that its habitat provides.
The first ancestors of man consumed what the primates eat today. However, 3.5 million years ago they began to implement other foods in their diet, such as seeds. This is known from a study of the carbon isotopes found in the tooth enamel of skulls.
Kenyanthropus playtops is said to be omnivorous, as it not only consumed a wide variety of fruits and leaves, but could also feed on larvae, small mammals, and some birds. Also, it is believed that you may have consumed a large number of tubers and roots.
Habitat
Generally, the areas in which primates developed used to be species of humid tropical forests, with a monsoon-type climatic regime; In other words, it was a climate characterized by a strong wind, which brought abundant rains during the summer.
Although Turkana is currently considered to be a semi-desert area, it is very likely that 3 million years ago it would have been a place with favorable and condensed vegetation, where not only the playtops inhabited, but also a large number of other species and animals.
The fossils found indicate that the habitat of Kenyanthropus playtops was a mixture of forests and savannas. However, it is stated that they could also inhabit areas a little more humid and closed.
References
- Yohannes Haile-Selassie “New species from Ethiopia further expands Middle Pliocene hominin diversity” (2015). Retrieved on September 6, 2018 from Nature: nature.com
- Leslie C. Aiello "Our newest oldest ancestor?" (2001). Retrieved on September 6, 2018 from Nature: nature.com
- Daniel E. Lieberman "Another face in our family tree" Retrieved on September 6, 2018 from: nature.com
- Jordi Agustí and David Lordkipanidze “From Turkana to the Caucasus” (2005). Retrieved on September 6, 2018 from RBA Libros.
- José Luis Moreno “The evolutionary bush (III). The archaic hominins ”(2017). Retrieved on September 6, 2018 from: habladeciencia.com
- Martín Cagliani "Changes in the hominid diet 3.5 million years ago" (2013) Retrieved on September 6, 2018 from: tendenzias.com