Scientists discover traces of different human ancestors meeting in Kenya 1.5 million years ago. Photo

Scientists have discovered traces of different human ancestors meeting in Kenya 1.5 million years ago. A new study describes ancient footprints of Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei that were left near a lake within hours or days of each other.

According to researchers, the two species of ancient human relatives lived in the same area at the same time. The question arises as to what kind of relationship they had, NBC News reports.

According to the study, the footprints were immersed in dried mud near a lake in northern Kenya and buried in sediments at the fossil site. After analyzing the shapes of the prints and drawings, experts found that the two sets were different.

The study by anthropologists and paleontologists proves that ancient human relatives probably interacted and coexisted together.

"WWe think these footprints were made in the mud in this lake shore environment. Something happened to bring sediment in over top of it. It could have been a small flood or a rise in the water level that carried in sediments and buried the footprints soon after they were formed," said Kevin G. Hatala, lead author of the study and associate professor of biology at Chatham University.

Previously discovered fossilized skeletons of Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei showed that both species lived in this region at some point in time. The new discovery proves this once again. It also shows that the two species walked on two legs in very different ways, the scientists emphasize.

Although both species are related to humans, Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei had very different traits, and their fates in the human evolutionary tree took very different paths, researchers say.

According to the scientists, Homo erectus had human anatomy from the neck down. These species used stone tools and may have cooked food over a fire. Researchers suggest that this species had a varied diet that included meat.

Homo erectus is known to have subsequently spread to Asia, Indonesia, and other regions and lived for more than 1 million years after the newly discovered footprints were made. The last time this species appeared in the fossil record was more than 100,000 years ago.

Paranthropus boisei had a smaller brain but massive chewing muscles and large angular teeth, experts say. William Harcourt-Smith, an associate professor of anthropology at Lehman College, said the species probably evolved to eat complex foods such as hard nuts and shrubby plants.

It is also known that Paranthropus boisei did not exist on Earth as long as Homo erectus.

Researchers believe that these two species may have coexisted in the area because their diets were very different. It is also possible that they competed for resources and had an antagonistic relationship.

Harcourt-Smith, who is also researcher at the American Museum of Natural History, said that it is becoming increasingly clear that different species of ancient man have interacted in different habitats over the past 7 million years of evolution.

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