fossilized_logo
 Map
 History of Prehistory
 Phyloplot
 Geochronological timescale
 Hominin Species Names
 Site List

edit Woranso-Mille

Database structure, interface design, and content ©2002-2024 Henry Gilbert

Creative Commons License
Human Fossil Record by Henry Gilbert is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://www.fossilized.org/

herc logo
 


 
 
 
Search Catalog of Fossil Hominids Database
Search NESPOS
Search John Hawkes Bibliography

See Wikipedia entry for Woranso-Mille

Search blogs for entries on Woranso-Mille

Afarensis

Anthropology.net

John Hawkes

Mundo Neanderthal (Español)

Caveman's Corner

Google Blog Search

Approximate age:3,600,000 years old=average of minimum (3.6 Ma) and maximum (3.6 Ma)

Date based on: K-Ar See map of sites with similar ages

Dating reference: Deino, A. L., Scott, G. R., Saylor, B., Alene, M., Angelini, J. D., & Haile-Selassie, Y. (2009). 40Ar/39Ar dating, paleomagnetism, and tephrochemistry of Pliocene strata of the hominid-bearing Woranso-Mille area, west-central Afar Rift, Ethiopia. Journal of human evolution.

Hominids: Australopithecus afarensis       

Archaeology:      

Important specimens: KSD-VP-1/1 partial skeleton, MSD-VP-5/16 mandible

Notes:

Location: Afar Rift, Ethiopia
Map location/coordinates reference: Haile-Selassie, Y. (2010). Phylogeny of early Australopithecus: new fossil evidence from the Woranso-Mille (central Afar, Ethiopia). Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 365(1556), 3323-3331
Haile-Selassie, Y., Latimer, B. M., Alene, M., Deino, A. L., Gibert, L., Melillo, S. M., et al. An early Australopithecus afarensis postcranium from Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(27), 12121.


Key references: Haile-Selassie, Y. (2010). Phylogeny of early Australopithecus: new fossil evidence from the Woranso-Mille (central Afar, Ethiopia). Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 365(1556), 3323-3331 Abstract The earliest evidence of Australopithecus goes back to ca 4.2 Ma with the first recorded appearance of Australopithecus ‘anamensis’ at Kanapoi, Kenya. Australopithecus afarensis is well documented between 3.6 and 3.0 Ma mainly from deposits at Laetoli (Tanzania) and Hadar (Ethiopia). The phylogenetic relationship of these two ‘species’ is hypothesized as ancestor–descendant. However, the lack of fossil evidence from the time between 3.6 and 3.9 Ma has been one of its weakest points. Recent fieldwork in the Woranso-Mille study area in the Afar region of Ethiopia has yielded fossil hominids dated between 3.6 and 3.8 Ma. These new fossils play a significant role in testing the proposed relationship between Au. anamensis and Au. afarensis. The Woranso-Mille hominids (3.6–3.8 Ma) show a mosaic of primitive, predominantly Au. anamensis-like, and some derived (Au. afarensis-like) dentognathic features. Furthermore, they show that, as currently known, there are no discrete and functionally significant anatomical differences between Au. anamensis and Au. afarensis. Based on the currently available evidence, it appears that there is no compelling evidence to falsify the hypothesis of ‘chronospecies pair’ or ancestor–descendant relationship between Au. anamensis and Au. afarensis. Most importantly, however, the temporally and morphologically intermediate Woranso-Mille hominids indicate that the species names Au. afarensis and Au. anamensis do not refer to two real species, but rather to earlier and later representatives of a single phyletically evolving lineage. However, if retaining these two names is necessary for communication purposes, the Woranso-Mille hominids are best referred to as Au. anamensis based on new dentognathic evidence.   

Fossilized.org presents precise geographic locations and current best date estimates for late Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene sites with human ancestor (hominin) fossils and archaeology. Several interactive visual interfaces allow users to generate maps and tables that relate localities, fossils, tools, and evolutioanry events with geography and time. The data content is dynamic and is updated daily, as are new interface features. This site started as a course syllabus for Anthropology 3101: Human Evolution 2 at California State University, East Bay, and grew with each quarter it was used. Now fossilized.org has over 200 sites and hundreds of bibliographic citations. Check back often for updates. human evolution database paleoanthropology biological anthropology database physical anthropology human origins coordinates site locations location latitude longitude age Pleistocene database Quaternary database Pliocene Holocene evolutionary history site database geochronology hominin hominidae hominid hominini acheulean oldowan middle stone age mousterian paleolithic late stone age neolithic hominin database hominin DB hominin darabase hominin dayabase hominin datavase hominid darabase hominid dayabase hominid datavase hominid database hominid fossil database human origins database hominin database hominin fossil database hominid skull human ancestor database fossil human ancestors best paleoanthropology site best paleoanthropology database best hominin database best hominid database hominin site database hominid site database coordinates map hominid site map hominin site map paleoanthropology site coordinates human evolution database human origins database fossil record database