Fossils are new clue in the human story

Jaw, teeth fragments show unknown ancestor that lived alongside 'Lucy'

Jaw and teeth fossils found on the silty clay surface of Ethiopia's Afar region represent a previously unknown member of humankind's family tree that lived 3.3 to 3.5 million years ago alongside the famous human ancestor "Lucy", scientists say.

The fossils shed new light on a key period in the evolution of the human lineage before the emergence of our genus Homo. They provide the first evidence that two early human ancestor species lived at the same time and place before 3 million years ago, they said when announcing the discovery on Wednesday.