Scientists from Arizona State University and other institutions finally assigned a species name to a fossil known as the Burtele foot. The discovery was made in 2009 at a site in Ethiopia.
The Burtele foot belongs to an ancient human species considered more primitive than Lucy, a female hominin also found in Ethiopia once thought to be the oldest human ancestor.
ASU paleoanthropologist Yohannes Haile-Selassie says the discovery of other specimens in the area helped to give the foot its assigned species.
And he says in a video posted by the ASU Institute of Human Origins, the structure of the Burtele foot provided unique abilities.
“Having opposable big toe, like what you're seeing here, allows you to climb up trees, because you can grasp branches, unlike modern humans, that we can't, because our big toe is lined up with the rest of the digits, and we can't really move it like our thumb," he said.
The researchers also found a distinct food diet of the species, including trees and shrubs. Findings were published in the journal Nature.
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