This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
On August 30, 2019, scientists announced the discovery of a "remarkably complete" 3.8-million-year-old skull of an early human in Ethiopia, providing a rare glimpse of human evolution.
The skull, known as MRD, belongs to the species Australopithecus anamensis and was discovered in the Afar region of northeastern Ethiopia, just 55km from where Lucy, the famous Australopithecus afarensis, was found in 1974.
MRD is considered a game changer in the understanding of human evolution, challenging a previously held belief about how humans evolved.
According to Yohannes Haile-Selassie, a renowned Ethiopian paleoanthropologist, "This skull is one of the most complete fossils of hominids more than 3 million years old."
Haile-Selassie described how Ali Bereino, a local guy from Afar, found the jaw of MRD and immediately brought it to his attention.
Discovered in February 2016, MRD offers "the first glimpse of the face of Lucy's ancestor", according to a statement announcing the finding.
The cranium was soon found nearby, and workers spent days sifting through earth that was "1 percent dirt and 99 percent goat poop", Haile-Selassie said.
Haile-Selassie recalled, "I did not believe my eyes when I saw the rest of the skull," describing the discovery as "a eureka moment and a dream come true".
