Footprints taken side by side...Different "human ancestors" co-existed.

[Anchor]
For the first time, evidence has been found that two different hominins, our distant ancestors, lived together in the same place and at the same time.

The footprints were taken only a few hours apart.

I'm reporter Jang A-young.

[Reporter]
Ancient human footprints have been found near Lake Turkana in Kenya, Africa.

There was not one owner of the footprints.

Homo erectus,
is a little more similar to humanity today.Larger and flatter than
, the footprints with the big toes wider outward are believed to be those of Paranthropus Voysei.

The footprints, taken only a few hours apart 1.5 million years ago, are conclusive proof that the ancestors of the two humans lived together.

[Kevin Hatala/Anthropologist at Chatham University in the U.S.] When these hominins were there for hours or days, they coexisted and shared the same landscape.

Hominin is a 'human family', referring to the human ancestor that was differentiated from the chimpanzee, bonobo, and the same 'human family' six to seven million years ago.

Hominins are again divided into early humans, Ardipithecus, Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo,

The Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei discovered this time are different species that differ greatly in many ways, including face shape, body size, and food.

All species, including them, are extinct except Homo sapiens, a modern human being.

[John Gersh / Paleontological Restoration Artist] Our ancestors, hominins, who lived in the same time period as this individual (Paranthropus Voysei), are divided into the path of the chewing machine and the path of the thinking machine. This object corresponds to a chewing machine.]

Homo erectus, who had a large brain using fire and tools, and Paranthropus boisei, who lived on tough vegetables with strong molars and jaws.

How they competed for survival and affected each other is expected to be revealed through follow-up studies.

I'm YTN's Jang Ayoung.