Buronius manfredschmidi Wandering on Earth 11.6 Million Years Ago: The Smallest Species Ever Known in the Hominidae Family.
According to Sci-News, fossil traces of a previously unknown primate species (family Hominidae) have been discovered at the Hammerschmiede site in Bavaria, Germany.
This species, named Buronius manfredschmidi, is an extinct hominoid that is much smaller than humans and our close ancestors.
Fossilized teeth of the new species captured from different angles – (Photo: PLOS ONE).
Hammerschmiede was previously known as the habitat of members of the Danuvius guggenmosi species from the Hominidae family during the Middle Miocene, which lasted from 23.03 million to 2.58 million years ago.
According to Dr. Madelaine Böhme from the University of Tübingen (Germany), the discovery of the new species Buronius manfredschmidi confirms that Bavaria was a “promised land” particularly rich in hominid beings.
Aside from Hammerschmiede, no other location in Europe has yielded fossils of more than one hominid species.
The fossils of the new species include remnants of two teeth and a patella that are distinct in size and shape compared to Danuvius guggenmosi and all other known hominoid species.
The bone fragments indicate that this creature weighed about 10 kg when alive, making it the smallest known member of the Hominidae family.
The study recently published in the journal PLOS One also suggests that this species was an adept climber and had a diet consisting of soft foods like leaves.
The fine enamel on the fossilized parts aids in concluding the creature’s diet. In contrast, Danuvius guggenmosi is an omnivore, as evidenced by the wear and bluntness of its teeth.
Differing diets may explain how the two hominoid species could share the same habitat at Hammerschmiede.
Scientists are continuing to delve into this intriguing discovery, as sharing habitats among different hominid species remains a rare behavior.
The Hominidae family is a large family that includes many extinct species of great apes.
The modern Hominidae family currently consists of 4 genera, including 8 species: Genus Pongo (Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli orangutans), Genus Gorilla (Eastern and Western gorillas), Genus Pan (chimpanzees and bonobos), and Genus Homo – meaning humans (only Homo sapiens, us, remain).
