A regional-scale mobility model for the early hominin occupation of the Lower Omo Valley (Ethiopia)

A regional-scale mobility model for early hominin occupation in the Lower Omo Valley (Ethiopia) reveals a sophisticated adaptive strategy that facilitated dispersal into new ecological niches. This study identifies a 'Shungura exception' in the Early Pleistocene record, where highly mobile foraging activities were concentrated along the meandering paleo-Omo River, despite its scarcity of lithic resources. Early hominins, some 2.3 million years ago, transported partially transformed products from distant sources to exploit biotic-rich margins, indicating a tipping point in their capacity for environment-specific adaptations. The research integrates environmental, spatial, and technological analyses to reconstruct this mobility-subsistence system, shedding light on the behavioral and cognitive prerequisites underlying hominin adaptability.

Delagnes, A., Bertran, P., Gravina, B., Santos, F., Sanchez, O. S., Galland, A., Brenet, M., Hailu, H. B., Araya, B. G., Sissay, F. M., Woldetsadik, M. G., & Boisserie, J.-R. (2026). A regional-scale mobility model for the early hominin occupation of the Lower Omo Valley (Ethiopia). Scientific Reports, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39972-9