Mercyhurst biological anthropologist weighs in on recent news about human evolution
Dr. Stephanie Melillo, an assistant professor in the Anthropology & World Languages and Biology departments, was recently interviewed for an article on CNN regarding some compelling news about human evolution. An article published Wednesday, August 16, in the journal Nature reveals the results of an analysis of new fossil teeth recovered from Ledi-Geraru, a project area located in the Afar region of Ethiopia. The results suggest the coexistence of early representatives of the genus Homo with Australopithecus (an ancient ancestor) over 2.5 million years ago. This research is significant, not only because it is a testament to the complexity of human evolution, but also because fossils of this age are typically rare.
Dr. Melillo is a biological anthropologist, with particular interests in Australopithecus and functional morphology. Given her expertise in the field of human evolution, as well as her fieldwork in the Afar Depression of Ethiopia, CNN reached out to Dr. Melillo and asked her to weigh in on this exciting news. Read below to hear Dr. Melillo explain the significance of this research and the challenges of conducting paleoanthropological research in this area: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/16/science/australopithecus-homo-species-afar-ethiopia