A 230,000-Year-Old <em data-pasted="true">Homo sapiens</em> Fossil Reveals Early Humans Were More Robust Than Once Thought
Learn more about Omo I, whose skeleton provides key details on the origins of modern humans.
A 230,000-year-old Homo sapiens fossil, Omo I, has challenged previous notions about early human body types. Discovered in Ethiopia in 1967, Omo I's skull exhibited features typical of modern humans, such as a high, rounded cranial vault and a chin. However, her skeleton suggested she may have been shorter and stockier than initially believed.
Anthropologists Ossbjorn Pearson and John Fleagle reexamined Omo I's bones and compared them with those of more recent humans. They found issues with one of the measurements used to estimate her height, leading to a reassessment of her body proportions. If correct, Omo I would have stood about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed approximately 157 pounds, a more robust build than previously thought.
This body type contrasts with that of other ancient humans, who tended to be taller and more slender. The new findings suggest that modern human traits may have evolved gradually and in a mosaic fashion, rather than all at once.
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