A recent discovery of a fossilized skull in South Africa has revealed a vital piece of the puzzle in understanding human evolution. The skull, estimated to be between 1.8 and 2.0 million years old, is believed to belong to a previously unknown species of early human ancestor – one that is closely related to the Homo genus. The new species has been dubbed Homo gautengensis, and it could provide researchers with valuable insight into the evolution of the Homo genus, and eventually, Homo sapiens. This discovery may help researchers to better understand the branching of the Homo line from other early human ancestors, and could even provide clues as to why the Homo genus became the dominant species on the planet.

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source: Phys.org