Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – An international team of researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of human paleontology: an exceptionally well-preserved Homo habilis skeleton, estimated to be over 2 million years old.
The fossil, labeled KNM-ER 64061, was unearthed in East Turkana, northern Kenya. This find represents the most complete postcranial (below the head) evidence of Homo habilis discovered so far.
The mandibular dentition and postcranial elements that comprise KNM-ER 64060 and KNM-ER 64061, respectively. Credit: Adapted from Grine, F. E. et al., 2026
The mandibular dentition and postcranial elements that comprise KNM-ER 64060 and KNM-ER 64061, respectively. Credit: Adapted from Grine, F. E. et al., 2026
Homo habilis is an early human species believed to be ancestral to Homo erectus. Most previous knowledge about this species comes from skull fragments and cranial remains, with fossils dating between 2.5 and 1.4 million years ago.
The newly reported skeleton dates back approximately 2.02 to 2.06 million years and includes both clavicles (collarbones), scapular fragments (shoulder blade pieces), both upper arm bones (humeri), both forearm bones (radii and ulnae), parts of the pelvis (ossa coxae), and a portion of the sacrum. Notably, these skeletal elements are associated with a nearly complete set of lower jaw teeth (mandibular teeth). This association allows scientists to confidently attribute all recovered bones to one individual belonging to Homo habilis.
Representation of the postcranial elements preserved by KNM-ER 64061 in anterior (left) and posterior (right) views. Credit: Adapted from Grine, F. E. et al., 2026
Before this discovery, only a few cases existed where scientists could definitively link skeletal remains with diagnostic dental evidence for Homo habilis individuals. This new find provides invaluable insight into our understanding of early human anatomy and evolution.
“Indeed, there are only three other very fragmentary and incomplete partial skeletons known for this important species,” explained Prof. Fred Grine, the lead author of the study from Stony Brook University.
Significance Of The Skeleton’s Anatomy
KNM-ER 64061 was first identified in 2012 during fieldwork directed by Meave Leakey of the Turkana Basin Institute in East Turkana. Following this initial discovery, further screening and excavation of the area uncovered more postcranial bone fragments. These fragments required careful reassembly, much like piecing together a puzzle, before researchers could begin detailed morphological analyses.
Homo habilis – forensic facial reconstruction. Credit: Cicero Moraes – CC BY-SA 4.0
Significant adaptive changes occurred between earlier hominins and the emergence of Homo erectus, making Homo habilis a crucial species for understanding when and how these transitions took place.
Studies of the KNM-ER 64061 specimen reveal that while many aspects of its limb bone anatomy are similar to those seen in Homo erectus and later members of the genus Homo, there are also notable differences. KNM-ER 64061 was shorter in stature, lighter in weight, and had relatively longer and stronger arms compared to Homo erectus. This individual stood about 160 centimeters tall and weighed between 30.7 and 32.7 kilograms.
Additionally, the forearm was proportionally longer relative to the upper arm than what is observed in Homo erectus—a trait linking early members of our genus to even older relatives like Australopithecus afarensis from over a million years before. The shoulder and arm bones also feature unusually thick outer layers (cortices), a characteristic shared with australopiths as well as other early Homo fossils. These findings help clarify both anatomical evolution within our lineage and connections to earlier human ancestors.
The features of the KNM-ER 64061 upper limb may reflect adaptations to a lifestyle that differed from that of later Homo erectus.
“Homo habilis upper limbs have been coming more and more into focus, and KNM-ER 64061 confirms that the arms were fairly long and strong. What remains elusive is the lower limb build and proportions. Going forward, we need lower limb fossils of Homo habilis, which may further change our perspective on this key species,” said Ashley S. Hammond, ICREA Researcher at the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) and one of the contributors to the study.
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The analyses of this remarkably complete Homo habilis skeleton were initially led by Bill Jungers, whose pioneering research significantly enhanced our knowledge of early human anatomy. Although Dr. Jungers passed away during the course of the project, his foundational contributions continue to play a central role in the ongoing study of this important fossil.
The study was published in the journal The Anatomical Record
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer