How our ancient cousins walked and gripped objects
Scientists just found the first definite hand and foot bones of Paranthropus boisei, an extinct human cousin from Kenya, in a study published October 15, 2025.
These fossils, slightly older than 1.52 million years, finally answer big questions about how this species moved and used their hands.
What do the fossils tell us?
P. boisei had hands with strong, gorilla-like fingers for gripping or climbing but also human-like thumbs that could handle objects with precision—kind of like having the best of both worlds.
Their feet were made for walking upright, yet had unique features not seen in other early humans.
Why does this matter?
This discovery shows P. boisei might have used tools too—not just our direct ancestors.
It highlights how diverse our ancient relatives were and challenges old ideas about what made early humans innovative or successful.