An extinct species of the genus Homo is the Homo bodoensis. This species was first scientifically described and was included in the literature in October 2021. As it was not based under newly discovered fossils, rather, the purpose of the author of this first description was to rearrange known findings. According to the author, with the help of this reorganization and renaming, all Hominin fossils anatomically interpreted as the early direct ancestors of modern humans (Homo sapiens) will be grouped under Homo bodoensis.
Highlights
Human from Bodo is the meaning of Homo bodoensis. Homo comes from Latin. Bodoensis refers to the skull of Bodo from which the fossil specimen was taken. It was found in the Afar depression in the Awash Valley of the county of Ethiopia. In the year 1976, Bodo’s skull was first recovered. Bodo’s skull had both Homo erectus as well as Homo sapiens characteristics. This species lived in Africa about 5,00,000 years ago. This was in the midst of the Pleistocene period. They are modern human?s direct ancestors. The man was 5 feet 9 inches tall and 63 kgs. The woman was 5 feet 2 inches and weighed 50 kgs.
Issue regarding designations
Earlier, Homo bodoensis were designated as a different species. For example, other fossils related to the skull were named Homo rhodesiensis or Homo heidelbergensis. Homo heidelbergensis was discovered in Germany and is 6,09,000 years old. Similar bones have also been found in Europe and Africa. However, scientists disagree about whether it can be called Homo heidelbergensis. Homo rhodesiensis is the name of the first skull discovered in the country of Zambia in the year 1921. Controversy exists over whether Bodo’s skull should be enshrined in Homo rhodesiensis. This discrepancy was resolved in the month of October, 2021 and skull was placed in the Homo bodoensis species, a new species.
Other Hominins
Neanderthals were born in Europe in the mid-Pleistocene age. In Asia, a sister group, the Denisovans, was formed at about the same time. In Africa, Homo naledi began in the mid-Pleistocene period. The main question is how to find out which species led to which species. Anthropologists believed that Homo heidelbergensis was a Neanderthal ancestor. But this turned out to be wrong as the Neanderthals originated during the early Pleistocene period and live in the Spanish region 4,30,000 years ago.
