Kenyanthropus platyops, meaning 'flat face', is a 3.5 to 3.2 million year old hominin fossil that was discovered in Lake Turkana in Kenya in 1999 by Justus Erus, who was part of Meave Leakey’s team [Leakey 2001].
3.5 to 3.2 million years ago
Bipedal, Flat Face
Hominin Fossil, Lake Turkana, Kenya, Africa
Reconstruction Kenyanthropus platyops using skull information
The flat face, a feature of humans, might represent a bridge between the walking apes and modern humans, although there is controversy over the hominine genus; Leakey suggests the fossil represents an entirely new hominine genus, while others classify it as a separate species of Australopithecus - Australopithecus platyops - and yet others interpret it as an individual of Australopithecus afarensis. The species remains an enigma, and it supports the view that between 3.5 and 2 million years ago there were several human-like species, each of which were well adapted to life in their particular environments.
The bones discovered at the site included more than 30 skull and tooth fragments. It is the oldest reasonably complete cranium yet discovered. From studying the fossil toe bone it probably walked upright. Teeth are intermediate between typical human and typical ape forms.