Bold claim: Little Foot might belong to an unknown human ancestor rather than a known Australopithecus species.
An international team challenges the long-standing classification of one of the world’s most complete ancient human fossils, suggesting it could represent a new species. The fossil, discovered in 1998 at South Africa’s Sterkfontein Caves and nicknamed “Little Foot,” has traditionally been assigned to the Australopithecus genus—likely A. africanus or A. prometheus, a lineage of upright, ape-like ancestors that inhabited southern Africa between roughly 3 million and 1.95 million years ago, according to La Trobe University’s press release.
However, a peer‑reviewed study published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology reports that Little Foot does not share a distinctive suite of traits with either A. africanus or A. prometheus. This raises the possibility that the skeleton, known as StW 573, may belong to an entirely different species.
“This fossil remains one of the most important discoveries in the hominin record, and its true identity is key to understanding our evolutionary past,” said the lead author, Jesse Martin of La Trobe University and the University of Cambridge.
Martin’s team marks the first to challenge Little Foot’s species classification since its 2017 unveiling. If confirmed, StW 573—the most complete ancient hominin ever found—could alter our views of human evolution in southern Africa and redefine the early family tree.
“This is more likely a previously unidentified human relative,” Martin noted, underscoring the need for careful, evidence-based taxonomy in paleoanthropology.
Professor Andy Herries of La Trobe added, “It is clearly different from the type specimen of A. prometheus, which was defined by the idea that these early humans made fire—a notion we now know is incorrect.”
The study was conducted under an Australian Research Council grant led by Herries and involved researchers from Australia, South Africa, Britain, and the United States.
Looking ahead, La Trobe researchers will examine more data to determine which species Little Foot represents and how that lineage fits into the broader human family tree. This ongoing work could reshape our understanding of human origins in southern Africa.
