Fossil foot from Ethiopia reveals traits of ancient human ancestor

The 3.4 million-year-old "Burtele Foot" fossils have been identified as belonging to Australopithecus deyiremeda, an ancient human ancestor. This discovery, alongside nearby teeth and jawbone fossils, confirms that A. deyiremeda was bipedal but retained an opposable big toe for tree climbing, differing from other hominins of the time. The findings indicate that multiple human ancestors co-existed, exhibiting distinct locomotion and dietary adaptations, challenging linear models of human evolution.