This project will undertake a systematic collection of fossils using state of the art methods to address key questions about human origins such as how many hominin (early human ancestors) species were present in the time interval between 3 and 4 million years ago and what their evolutionary relationship is to other such species. It will also address how they lived and interacted with the animals and plants in their surroundings. This together with the geology of the area will contribute to the reconstruction of the geotectonic background for human evolution. The Dikika site, located in the heart of the Afar Region in Ethiopia, contains thick sediments rich in fossils dated to between 3.8 and 0.2 million years. It has already yielded some spectacular fossils including a ca. 60% complete skeleton of the earliest human ancestral child ever discovered. Answering major questions about early hominins using data from Dikika will contribute uniquely to the understanding of the link between human evolution and environmental changes over time. Data from this research will be made available for the paleoanthropological community, thus facilitating regional and continent wide collaborative research and understanding of the history of our family within the context of a changing environment.
This project has considerable broader impact in promoting cooperation at the international and local level, advancing local involvement in the preservation of the fossil heritage, educating undergraduate and graduate students in the US and abroad, and promoting international and interdisciplinary collaborations. Knowledge of human evolution generated from this research will be used to promote public education via lectures and exhibitions at US based as well as international museums and forums. This research will provide international research opportunities for two graduate students to gain research training experience.
