ASU researchers find human teeth fossils

ASU researchers dig for ancient teeth in Ethiopia

ASU researchers are searching for ancient human teeth in Ethiopia. What they find could provide new insights into early human development. FOX 10's Steve Nielsen has the details.

ASU researchers are in Ethiopia, searching for ancient human teeth that could offer new insights into early human development.

The research team, including Christopher Campisano, an associate professor at ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change, is working in the Ledi-Geraru area of the Afar Triangle. This region is a hotbed of early human fossils.

What they're saying:

"Hominins were probably across most of Africa at some point, but we get these little peaks in certain spots in the African Rift Valley," Campisano said.

His team uncovered 13 teeth that appear to be different from any they've seen before. While there aren't enough to give the teeth a new species name, Campisano said they don't seem to match any known species.

The discovery was the result of a process of using satellite images to find potential sites, followed by extensive manual labor on the ground.

These teeth, which are between 2.6 and 2.8 million years old, are already beginning to tell an intricate story.

According to Campisano, the find shows that the story of human evolution is more complex than a simple family tree. He said the findings indicate that there were at least four different human ancestors living in East Africa at the same time.

What's next:

From just the teeth, researchers can learn about what these early humans ate and how they lived. The team is now hoping to find more fossils to go along with the teeth.