" Toumaï the Human Ancestor "

PRESS RELEASE

Professor Michel Brunet, Director of the Mission Paléoanthropologique Franco Tchadienne (M.P.F.T.) : scientific collaboration between the University of Poitiers, the University of N'Djamena and the Centre National d'Appui à la Recherche (CNAR) N'Djamena, leading an international research program on early hominid origin and environments, has just reported the discovery of a new hominid in the Djurab desert, Northern Chad: the earliest known hominid of the human lineage. Fossil remains are biochronologically dated at around 7 million years. This discovery is the subject of two scientific articles published in the journal Nature, July 11, 2002.

• Abstract

• Location
• Discoveries : Who and when?
• Fossils
• The hominid: What does he look like?
• The name : why a new genus and a new species?
• Sedimentological and faunal context
• The geological age of Toumaï
• Background
• The team
• Toumaï phylogenetic relationships : implications
• Mission Paléoanthropologique Franco-Tchadienne (M.P.F.T.)
• Research: short term prospects (2002-2008)
• Research: financing, support and logistic
• Information and contact
• Illustrations