Major discovery: Researchers uncover an extraordinary Homo habilis skeleton in Kenya

Researchers have uncovered the most complete Homo habilis skeleton ever found, dating back over 2 million years and preserving numerous anatomical features characteristic of early human ancestors, similar to Lucy. The fossils also provide exciting new insights into the lifestyle and physical structure of these early hominins.

The story of human evolution is full of mysteries and unexpected discoveries that continually shed new light on the lives and development of our ancestors. The latest find — a remarkably well-preserved Homo habilis skeleton — offers particularly thrilling insight into the world of early hominins and may help us better understand the process of evolution itself.

The discovery and significance of the Homo habilis skeleton

The Homo habilis skeleton, designated KNM-ER 64061, was discovered in northern Kenya, in the Turkana Basin. The first fragments of the fossils were uncovered in 2012 by archaeologist Meave Leakey from Stony Brook University in New York, together with her research team, and the discovery was first presented at a scientific conference in 2015. As reported by Live Science, a full analysis of the fossils was published on 13 January 2026 in The Anatomical Record, confirming that this is one of the most complete Homo habilis specimens ever found, as well as one of the oldest.

The Homo habilis skeleton is particularly significant for palaeoanthropological research because the species represents a transitional form between australopithecines and later, better-known members of the genus Homo, such as Homo erectus. Much like the renowned Lucy skeleton among australopithecines, Homo habilis is crucial for understanding the early stages of human evolution.

Anatomical features of the fossils

The discovered specimen includes clavicles, fragments of scapulae, upper and lower arm bones, as well as smaller fragments of the spine, ribs, upper leg bones, and pelvis. The identification as Homo habilis was confirmed thanks to the lower dentition. According to the researchers, the robust, thick arm bones recall the proportions typical of australopithecines, indicating that this species had long, powerful upper limbs, even compared with later Homo erectus.

From the length of the humerus, the researchers inferred that the individual was a young adult, approximately 160 cm tall, and weighed just 30.7 kg. Collectively, these data suggest that Homo habilis was considerably smaller and lighter than Homo erectus, while the proportions of its upper limbs still retained australopithecine-like characteristics.

It is important to note, however, that long forearms do not necessarily mean that Homo habilis was fully arboreal, though they would have made climbing possible.

Future research directions

This discovery is particularly significant because, between 2.2 and 1.8 million years ago, up to four different hominin species — Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis, Paranthropus boisei, and possibly Homo erectus — may have lived in East Africa at the same time. The fossils may finally help clarify how these species were related to one another.

The Homo habilis skeleton provides not only new information about the species itself but also insight into the development of anatomical features in early hominins. The robust upper limbs and relatively low body mass suggest that this species was already closer to a fully terrestrial lifestyle than australopithecines.

What comes next?

• Major discovery: Researchers uncover an extraordinary Homo habilis skeleton in Kenya

Researchers emphasise that future studies of Homo habilis lower-limb fossils may further refine our understanding of this key species and help determine whether it was a direct ancestor of Homo erectus or simply a closely related, contemporaneous species.

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