Paleoanthropology

A 2.6-million-year-old jawbone discovered in Ethiopia's Afar region marks the first known fossil of the robust hominin Paranthropus from that area. Found about 1,000 kilometers north of previous sites, the specimen suggests this early human relative was more adaptable and widespread than previously thought. Led by University of Chicago paleoanthropologist Zeresenay Alemseged, the discovery challenges long-held views on hominin competition and evolution.