Overview
A Middle Pliocene hominin that coexisted with Au. afarensis. Distinguished by its more robust mandible and smaller teeth. Associated with the Burtele foot — a partial foot with a divergent, grasping big toe, suggesting more arboreal locomotion than Au. afarensis. Demonstrates that multiple hominin species with different locomotor adaptations lived alongside each other.
Key Fossils
BRT-VP-3/1 (maxilla), BRT-VP-3/14 (mandible), possibly Burtele foot
Brain Anatomy
No Cranial Data Available
No cranial remains or endocasts have been recovered for this species, so brain morphology cannot be directly assessed.
Tools & Technology
No Tool Associations
No stone tools have been directly associated with this species in the archaeological record.
Diet
Unknown; likely similar to other australopiths
Genetics & Ancient DNA
| Genome Coverage | % |
|---|---|
| DNA Source | |
| Sequencing Year | |
| mtDNA Available | No |
| Nuclear DNA | No |
| Divergence Date (fossil calibrated) | 3.4 MYA |
Au. deyiremeda: no DNA.
Molecular clock data from TimeTree 5 (Kumar et al. 2022).
Phylogenetic Relationships
| Related Species | Relationship | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australopithecus afarensis | Contemporary | Strong | Au. afarensis and Au. deyiremeda coexisted in Ethiopia ~3.3-3.5 MYA |
Fossil Occurrences
The Paleobiology Database records 1 fossil occurrence(s) attributed to Australopithecus deyiremeda. View on map →
| Identified As | Location | Formation | Age (MYA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australopithecus deyiremeda | ET | – | 5.33 – 2.58 |
Data from the Paleobiology Database (CC-BY).
Scientific References
- (2015). "New species from Ethiopia further expands Middle Pliocene hominin diversity". Nature 521:483-488. DOI:10.1038/nature14448 (122 citations)