More than 800 dead following Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake at a depth of 8 km, roughly 27 km to the northeast of the city of Jalālābād in Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, slightly after 11.45 pm local time (slightly after 7.15 pm GMT) on Sunday 31 August 2025. The quake was felt across eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, as well as in parts of northern India, and is reported to have completely destroyed several villages in Kunar Province, on the border with Pakistan. At the time of writing, more than 800 people have been confirmed to have died, with that number expected to rise significantly over the coming days. A further 2500 people are known to have been injured by the event, and the Taliban government of Afghanistan is appealing to the international community for help with rescue and reconstruction efforts.

The approximate location of the 31 August 2025 Afghanistan Earthquake. USGS.

The boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates runs close to northern Afghanistan. The Indian Plate is moving northward relative to the Eurasian Plate, causing folding and uplift along this boundary, which has led to the formation of the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the other mountain ranges of Central Asia., and which makes the nations in this boundary zone prone to Earthquakes.

Plate boundaries and movements beneath southern Pakistan, Iran and the Arabian Sea. University of Southampton.

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Istiorachis macarthurae: A new species of Iguanodontian Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight.

The Iguanodontians were a highly successful group of Ornithischian Dinosaurs, which included groups such as the Dryosaurids, Iguanodonts, and Hadrosaurs. The oldest known Iguanodontian is Callovosaurus leedsi, a Dryosaurid from the Middle Jurassic Oxford Clay Formation of England, while by the End of the Cretaceous they were the most numerous group of Herbivorous Dinosaurs in Laurasia. The Iguanodontians were a relatively minor part of Late Jurassic faunas, but underwent a significant evolutionary radiation in the Early Cretaceous, becoming a numerous and morphologically diverse group, which they remained throughout the Cretaceous Period.

In a paper published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology on 21 August 2025, Jeremy Lockwood of the Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section at the Natural History Museum, and the School of the Environment and Life Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, David Martill, also of the School of the Environment and Life Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, and Sussanah Maidment, also of the Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section at the Natural History Museum, describe a new species of Iguanodontian Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight.

The new species is named Istiorachis macarthurae, where 'Istiorachis' means 'sail-spine' in reference to the long neural spines on the vertebrae of the species, which may have given it a 'sail-backed' appearance, and 'macarthurae' honours  Dame Ellen MacArthur, an English sailor who in 2005 set a world record forthe fastest solo non-stop voyage around the world on her first attempt and who also founded the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust for young people on the Isle of Wight. It is described from a single, partial specimen recovered from the 1.5 m thick 'Black Band' which outcrops about 100 m to the east of Grange Chine (a chine on the Isle of White is a steep-sided gorge cut into a cliff made from a soft sediment by a stream immediately before reaching the sea). This 'Black Band' overlies the Grange Chine Sandstone within the Wessex Formation.

Locality and stratigraphy of Istiorachis macarthurae. (A) Generalised stratigraphic log and  schematic lithological logs of Wealden Group exposure between Sudmoor and Atherfield on the Isle of Wight,  showing excavation sites of the holotypes of the new Dinosaur (MIWG 6643), Brighstoneus simmondsi (MIWG 6344) and Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis (NHMUK PV R 5764). (B) Simplified geological map of the Isle of Wight. (C) Enlarged area showing the site of the excavation of MIWG 6643 in the Black Band (arrowed) (50.63354 N, 1.40654 W). Abbreviation: SS, sandstone. Note that the dashed line in (A) dividing the Wessex Formation into exposed and unexposed, applies only to the Isle of Wight exposures. Lockwood et al. (2025).

During the excavation of the specimen from which Istiorachis macarthurae is described,  MIWG 6643 was discovered and excavated by the late Nick Chase, a prolific Isle of Wight Dinosaur-hunter, who died of cancer in 2019. Unfortunately, during this excavation, the site was poached, and an unknown amount of material removed. The remaining material comprises one cervical vertebra, eight dorsal vertebrae, three dorsal rib heads, a partial sacrum, seven caudal vertebrae, both pubes and both ischia. Despite these loses, the remaining material is in good condition, with little distortion and good surface preservation.

Istiorachis macarthurae, holotype (MIWG 6643). Skeletal reconstruction. Scale bar represents 500 mm. Lockwood et al. (2025).

The most notable feature of Istiorachis macarthurae is the extremely long neural spines on its dorsal vertebrae. This is a trait which arose independently multiple times in Cretaceous Iguanodontians, although its purpose is unclear. 

Istiorachis macarthurae, holotype (MIWG 6643). 12th dorsal vertebra from early posterior series. (A)–(D), 12th dorsal vertebra in: (A) anterior; (B) left lateral; (C) posterior; (D) right lateral view. (E) reconstruction to show two consecutive vertebrae in lateral view. Abbreviations: cle, cleft; para, parapophysis; ri, ridge. Scale bar represents 50 mm. Lockwood et al. (2025).

A variety of modern Lizards have distinctive sails on their backs formed by elongation of the neural spines, but this is a feature associated with sexual selection and found only in the males. Such a role cannot be ruled out in Iguanodontians, but no evidence of sexual dimorphism has been found within the group (i.e., as far as we are aware, the males and females looked essentially the same). 

A Green Basilisk Lizard, Basiliscus plumifrons, in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. This species has a distinctive crest, formed by elongation of the neural spines, but this trait is only seen in the males. Connor Long/Wikimedia Commons.

Large sails formed by elongated neural spines are also known from several groups of Carboniferous and Permian Tetrapods, including Sphenacodontids such as Dimetrodon limbatus and Echinerpeton intermedium, and Edaphosaurids, such as Edaphosaurus pogonias. In these Late Palaeozoic Tetrapods large sails appear to have been linked to temperature regulation. This cannot be ruled out in Iguanodontians, but where this the case crests would be expected to be a fixed trait (i.e. arising once then found in all subsequent members of the group), instead they seem to have appeared several times within different Iguanodontian lineages, with some groups having apparently gained and then lost crests.

Reconstructed skeleton of Dimetrodon incisivum from the Permian of Texas, in the collection of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe in Germany. Such crests are thought to have been used for thermoregulation, and are a fixed trait within the Family Sphenacodontidae. Wikimedia Commons.

American Bison, Bison bison, have elongated neural spines on the forward part of their dorsal spine, which help to support the musculature needed to carry and move their large heads. Again, it is possible that the crests of Iguanodontians served a similar purpose, supporting extra musculature, but the distribution of elongated neural spines appears unrelated to size in the group, and it is unclear why this would have been present in some species, and absent in other, similar sized, species.

The skeleton of an American Bison, Bison bison, showing a crest made from elongated neural spines on the forward part of the dorsal spine. Museu de Anatomia Veterinária de Universidade de São Paulo/Wikimedia Commons.

Iguanodontians were secondarily quadrupedal grazing herbivores (that is to say, they descended from bipedal ancestors, but adopted a quadruped posture to facilitate grazing close to the ground). This required their spine be held in a horizontal position, and as they evolved to large sizes, to be able to bear large weights. To facilitate this, Iguanodontians evolved a system of ossified tendons, providing additional support for the spine, but also making it ridged and inflexible. 

Lockwood et al. speculate that elongated neural spines in Iguanodontians would have increased the efficiency of these ossified tendons, allowing for a reduction in muscle mass, which in turn would have enabled functions such as bending or running to be more efficient and less energetic. However, they are unable to explain why this would have been advantageous to some Iguanodontians but not others, and therefore the patchy distribution of the trait within the group.

Artist's impression of Istiorachis macarthurae in life. James Brown in Lockwood et al. (2025).

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Controversial South African conservationist and Rhino farmer charged with multiple offences related to Rhino-horn smuggling.

The controversial conservationist and Rhino farmer John Hume has been charged with multiple offences relating to the illegal export of Rhinoceros horn from South Africa. Hume was charged before magistrates in Pretoria on 19 August 2025, along with five co-defendants, all of whom were former employees of Mr Hume's Rhino-farming business, on 55 separate charges relating to the export of Rhino horn worth 250 million South African Rand (roughly US$14.1 million) to Southeast Asia.

South African Rhino farmer and conservationist John Hume, who was charged with the illegal export of Rhinoceros horn to Southeast Asia on 19 August 2025. Bloomberg/Getty Images.

Hume began farming Rhinos in the early 2000s, with a herd of about 200 Southern White Rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum simum, rising to about 2000 Animals by the time his ranch was taken over by African Parks in 2023. His business plan was simple; Rhinoceros were given good veterinary treatment to keep them healthy, the Rhinos were protected by armed guards at all times to protect them from poachers, and in addition their horns were docked regularly to make them less attractive to said poachers, and the whole thing was financed by the sale of the docked Rhino horns.

On the surface, this seemed like a good arrangement. The Rhinos appeared to thrive, a lot of people were employed boosting the local economy (although sufficient land to support 2000 Rhinos could presumably also support quite a few small African farmers), and the sale of horns from farmed Rhinos would provide an alternative supply to that from poached Rhinos, a trade which has led to the collapse of wild Rhino populations across Africa and Asia, and which has been linked to the trafficking of drugs, arms, and people.

A Rhino having a horn docked on a farm owned by John Hume. Leon Neal.

Unfortunately, not every conservationist agreed that a legal sale of Rhino horns was sustainable. Rather than creating an alternative to the supply of poached horns, many felt that the trade in farmed horns would create a grey area allowing the illegal trade to persist, since not all horn being traded could be assumed to be illegal.

The international trade in Rhino horn was banned in 1977 under the terms of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. This did not, however, ban the trade in horn within countries. There are some traditional uses for Rhino horn within South Africa (although not sufficient to support a major industry) and the internal trade in horns was not banned until 2009. Following this, Hume, and another farmer, Johan Kruger, brought a series of legal challenges to the ban finally convincing the Constitutional Court of South Africa in 2017 that the ban had been introduced without sufficient consultation and should be reversed.

The logo for Platinum Rhino, John Hume's Rhinoceros farm. Facebook.

Following this, the law was amended to allow for the trade in Rhino horns within South Africa, provided both the supplier and the buyer had a valid permit to trade in the commodity. This change did not, however, allow for the legal export of Rhinoceros horn from South Africa under any circumstances. Later that year, Hume held his first online auction of Rhino horns, with listings on his website in Vietnamese and Mandarin as well as languages more commonly spoken in South Africa.  On several occasions since this time journalists have reported him speaking openly about the export of Rhino horns.

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James Webb Space Telescope discovers twenty ninth moon orbiting Uranus.

A team of scientists from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, have discovered a new moon orbiting the planet Uranus in images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, according to a press release issued by NASA on 19 August 2025. The team, headed by lead scientist Maryame El Moutamid, discovered the moon in a series of 40 second exposures of the planet taken on 2 February 2025.

The new moon has been given the provisional designation S/2025 U1 (indicating the first Satellite discovered orbiting Uranus in 2025). If the discovery is confirmed, it will be formally given a name, which in the case of moons of Uranus is chosen from characters in the plays of William Shakespear or Alexander Pope.

S/2025 U1 has an estimated diameter of 8-10 km, and orbits 56 250 km above the centre of Uranus (as a gas giant, Uranus does not have a 'surface'), between the moons Ophelia and Bianca. This makes it extremely faint, which combined with its proximity to the planet, appears to have hidden it from previous observations by Voyager 2 and the Hubble Space Telescope.

Discovery video of S/2025 U1 by the James Webb Space Telescope over the course of 10 frames. James Webb Space Telescope/NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency/Wikimedia Commons.

S/2025 U1 is the first moon of Uranus discovered in two years, with the most recent discovery previously being S/2023 U1 (which has not yet been confirmed, and therefore still has a provisional designation) discovered in 2023 by American Astronomer Scott Sheppard using the 6.5-meter Magellan–Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Prior to this, the moons Cupid, Mab, and Margaret were discovered in 2003 using the Hubble Space Telescope, while Francisco was discovered in the same year using the 4.0-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Observatory, again in Chile. In 2001 the moons Trinculo and Ferdinand were also discovered using the 4.0-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope. In 1999 the moon Perdita was discovered in photographs made by the Voyager 2 spacecraft during its flyby of Uranus in 1986. Also in 1999, the moons Stephano, Prospero, and Setebos were discovered using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea. In 1997 the moons Caliban and Sycorax were discovered using the 200-inch Hale Telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California. In 1986 the moons Cordelia, Ophelia, Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, and Belinda were discovered by the Voyager 2 Spacecraft during its flyby of Uranus, with Puck discovered the previous year as the spacecraft approached the planet.

Prior to this, the last moon of Uranus discovered had been Miranda, discovered in 1948 by Gerard Kuiper (after whom the Kuiper Belt is named), then working at McDonald Observatory in Texas. Almost a century before this the English astronomer William Lassell discovered the moons Ariel and Umbriel, using a 24 inch telescope he built himself and operated from a suburb of Liverpool. This first two moons of Uranus to be discovered (and its largest moons), Titania and Oberon, were discovered on 11 January 1787 by William Herschel, six years after he discovered the planet itself.

James Webb image showing S/2025 U1 and 13 of the 28 other known moons orbiting the planet Uranus. NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency/Southwest Research Institute/Maryame El Moutamid/Matthew Hedman.

S/2025 U1 is the smallest moon of Uranus yet discovered, and appears to be the fourteenth member of a group of small moons orbiting inside the major moons of Uranus (Titania, Oberon, Arial, Umbriel, and Miranda) but outside the planets rings (the remaining moons are small bodies with eccentric and often retrograde orbits outside the major moons, which may be captured comets or asteroids). These small moons all have very circular orbits, which suggests that they formed in their current locations, hinting at a complex relationship with the particles of the rings.

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Hominin remains from the Late Pliocene of Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia.

The genera Homo and Paranthropus are common in the fossil record from about 2.0 million years ago. Both are thought to have derived from an earlier Australopithecus ancestor, with the most likely ancestor for the genus Homo generally thought to be Australopithecus afarensis. However, Australopithecus afarensis is not known after 2.95 million years ago, with Hominid fossils being rare over the intervening interval, spanning the latest Pliocene and earliest Pleistocene. Examples of Paranthropus have recently been described from 2.7 million-year-old deposits in the Omo-Turkana Basin of Ethiopia and Nyayanga in Kenya, and the 2.66 million-year-old deposits at Laetoli in Tanzania, while a jawbone attributed to the genus Homo has been found at Ledi-Geraru in Ethiopia which has been dated to 2.78 million years ago, pushing the presence of both these 'Pleistocene' genera back into the latest Pliocene, while a new species of Australopithecus, Australopithecus garhi, has recently been described from 2.5 million-year-old (earliest Pleistocene) deposits in the Afar region of Ethiopia.

In a paper published in the journal Nature on 13 August 2025, a team of scientists led by Brian Villmoare of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada Las Vegas describe a series of recent Hominin finds made by the Ledi-Geraru Research Project in the Afar Basin of Ethiopia.

The Ledi-Geraru sites are located at the northern end of the palaeoanthropological sites of the Afar Basin, and has produced the only known evidence of the genus Australopithecus surviving after 2.95 million years ago, as well as the earliest evidence for the appearance of the genus Homo. Paranthropus has not been found in this area, but it is unclear whether this represents a genuine absence. The two sites of Ledi-Geraru, Lee Adoyta and Asboli are to the west of the Awash River, in an area cut through by the Mille and Geraru rivers and their tributaries. The deposits here are between 2.5 and 3.0 million years old, and have been dated by Argon-Argon radioisotope stratigraphy of volcanic layers, as well as magnitostratigraphy.

Map of the Ledi-Geraru Research Project area. (a) The  Ledi-Geraru Research Project area (yellow star) is located towards the northern  extent of palaeontological sites (red circles) in the Afar depression, Afar Region,  Ethiopia. (b) Within the Ledi-Geraru project area, the Lee Adoyta and Asboli fossil  sites are located approximately 12.5 km apart. Villmoare et al. (2025).

Argon-Argon dating relies on determining the ratio of radioactive Argon⁴⁰ to non-radioactive Argon³⁹ within minerals from igneous or metamorphic rock (in this case volcanic ash) to determine how long ago the mineral cooled sufficiently to crystallise. The ratio of Argon⁴⁰ to Argon³⁹ is constant in the atmosphere, and this ratio will be preserved in a mineral at the time of crystallisation. No further Argon³⁹ will enter the mineral from this point, but Argon⁴⁰ is produced by the decay of radioactive Potassium⁴⁰, and increases in the mineral at a steady rate, providing a clock which can be used to date the mineral.

Magnitostratigraphy uses traces of ancient magnetic fields preserved in iron minerals in rocks to trace ancient pole reversals; the poles only have two possible orientations (north pole in the north/south pole in the south or south pole in the north/north pole in the south) and these occasionally flip, with the poles exchanging positions. Pole reversals happen more-or-less at random, with periods between reversals occurring at intervals ranching from tens of thousands to millions of years, and reflected across the globe. This creates a pattern of magnetic reversals in sedimentary rocks that can be matched in different rocks across the globe.

The first specimen described by Villmoare et al. comes from the Gurumaha Sedimentary Package, which outcrops in narrow fault-bounded exposures in the central Lee Adoyta basin and in drag-faulted blocks adjacent to basalt ridges  bounding the basin to the east. This sedimentary package is cut through by the Gurumaha Tuff, which has been dated to 2.782 million years before the present. This is the unit which previously produced specimen LD 350, a 2.78 million-year-old mandible which is the oldest fossil assigned to the genus Homo. 

The specimen derived from this unit, LD 302-23, is a third right lower premolar found 22 m to the southwest and 7 m bellow specimen LD 350, but still above the Gurumaha Tuff layer. This tooth measures 11.5 mm in length and 10.5 mm in width, and has a fragment of enamel missing from its lingual corner, being otherwise well-preserved. The shape of the premolar is consistent with that seen in some examples from Australopithecus afarensis, but the pattern of cusps is quite different to anything seen in any member of the genus, making it unlikely that this tooth came from an Australopithecus. It also falls within the size range of both species of Paranthropus, but is quite different in shape. Third premolars from early members of the genus Homo are quite variable, but clearly differ from both those of Australopithecus and Paranthropus. Since this tooth falls within the size and shape variation found in these early Homo specimens, Villmoare et al. assign it to the genus Homo. 

New Hominin dentition from the Ledi-Geraru Research project. Right, from top: LD 302-23 P₃,  LD 750 P₄, AS 100 M¹ and AS 100 M².  Left, images show the LD 760 assemblage  (top, from left: maxillary molar, I², I¹, maxillary canine; bottom, mandibular molars). Villmoare et al. (2025).

The second specimen described, LD 750-115670, is an isolated lower fourth premolar, found at the base of an 8 m exposure of fossiliferous mudstones and sandstones at site LD 750. This site is located stratigraphically between the 2.63 million-year-old Lee Adoyta Tuffs and the 2.59 million-year-old Giddi Sands Tuff. 

The tooth crown is unworn, with all cusps preserved, although the root is broken off, giving a maximum root height of about 2 mm. The lack of wear may imply that the tooth was unerupted at the time of death. The tooth is 12.4 mm long and 11.4 mm wide, placing it at the upper end of the size range for Australopithecus afarensis or Australopithecus africanus, and too large for Australopithecus anamensis. No lower jaw or teeth are known for Australopithecus garhi, but the specimen is within a plausible size range for the species. It also falls within the size range of both Paranthropus species, but again is quite different in shape. It does resemble several fourth premolars attributed to early Homo, though Villmoare et al. note that these attributions are provisional, and that it is difficult to distinguish between early Homo and Australopithecus fourth premolars. Since this tooth lacks any distinctively Homo features, Villmoare et al. provisionally assign it to aff. Australopithecus sp..

A set of five associated lower molars were discovered at a site identified as LD 760, a flat sandy area approximately below the 2.63 million-year-old Lee Adoyta Tuffs. These are worn, with dentine exposed on their outer cusps, and wide for their lengths, giving them a squarish profile. Notably, the third molar is larger than the second molar, and the second molar is larger than the first, the first and second molars a relatively square, and the first and second molars lack a seventh cusp, all traits compatible with Australopithecus afarensis, but not early Homo. However, these teeth also differ from those of Australopithecus afarensis in several ways; they do not taper towards the rear, and lack a distinctive bilobate buccal contour. 

LD 760 molars compared to Australopithecus afarensis. Left molars from Ledi-Geraru specimen LD 760 (left) and Hadar specimen A.L. 400-1 (right). Measurements in mm of the LD 760 molars (length × width): LM1: 13.3 × 13.4, LM2: 14.5 × 14.6, LM3: 14.0 (estimated) × 15.7, RM1: 13.2 × 13.1, RM2: 14.8 × 15.2. Specimens are oriented with their buccal surfaces to the left and mesial surfaces up. Villmoare et al. (2025).

A partial upper molar was also recovered from this locality. This preserves the lingual grove of the tooth, which appears to be quite distinct. In the upper molars of Australopithecus garhi this groove is indistinct. Furthermore, the upper molars of Australopithecus garhi has a greatly reduced hypercone cusp, which leads the protocone cusp to take on a triangular shape. The hypercone is absent in the LD 760 specimen, but the protocone is present, and shows no sign of modification due to a reduced hypercone. However, the sample size for Australopithecus gahri is small, so this cannot be ruled out as a natural variation within the species.

Also found at the LD760 site were a right maxillary (upper) canine, a complete left maxillary lateral incisor and a left fragmentary maxillary central incisor. Thecanine (LD 760-115979) is well  preserved, lacking only the tip of the root. This has mesial and distal interproximal contact facets (wear marks caused by contact between teeth), with the interproximal contact facet having a matching distal interproximal contact facet on the second incisor. This means that the second incisor and canine were in contact, something typical of the the genus Homo, and unlike the situation in many Australopithecus specimens (including the Australopithecus gahri maxilla BOU-VP-12/130) where these two teeth are separated by a diastema (this trait is variable in Australopithecus afarensis, which may-or-may not have a diastema, so this could conceivably also be the case in Australopithecus gahri). The canine is also notably large, towards the upper end of the size range seen in Australopithecus (and much larger than anything seen in Paranthropus).

Comparative maxillary canine morphology. (a) Lingual (left) and  labial (right) views of the Ledi-Geraru LD 760-115979 canine (left) with Hadar Australopithecus afarensis specimens A.L. 763-1 (middle) and A.L. 333x-3 (right). Note that the  LD 760 canine is a right canine, whereas the Australopithecus afarensis canines are from the  left and are mirrored in these images. (b)–(d) LD 760-115979 ((b) shown in lingual view) contrasted with Hadar Australopithecus afarensis specimen A.L. 199-1 ((c) right canine  shown; distal to the upper right) and Bouri Australopithecus garhi specimen BOU-VP-12/130  (d) left canine, mirrored; distal is to the right). Note the simple mesial–distal  chisel-like wear pattern on the LD 760 canine (b) in contrast to the complex  multi-faceted wear pattern of Australopithecus afarensis (c) and the broad curved basin on the  distal side of the Australopithecus garhi upper canine ((d) this is seen on both left and right  canines). Images are oriented differently to emphasise the distinctive relevant morphology. Images in (b)–(d) are not to scale. Vallmoare et al. (2025).

The canine of Australopithecus gahri has a unique structure, with a shallow distal basin reminiscent of a talon which is contiguous with a wide wear furrow which runs along the entire post-canine dental row, something not seen in any other Hominin, and absent in the LD 760 canine. Morphologically, this tooth resembles those of Australopithecus afarensis, however, it has different wear patterns. In Australopithecus afarensis wear is mostly seen on the distal crest, whereas in the the LD 760 canine it is predominantly on the apex, suggesting a difference in diet and/or lifestyle.

The LD 760 individual clearly does not belong to Paranthropus, and is not morphologically consistent with any described species of Australopithecus. However, since it resembles Australopithecus afarensis more closely than anything else, Vallmoare et al. refer it to Australopithecus sp. indet.

The final specimens discussed come from the Giddi Sands unit in the Asboli region. These were found immediately below the 2.593 million-year-old Giddi Sands Tuff, and comprise a partial upper left first molar, and two fragments of an upper left second molar, which can be assembled to form a whole crown. They show little wear, and are close in shape to those of Australopithecus afarensis, although they lack the pronounced lingual occlusocervical sloping and general 'puffy' appearance of the molars of that species. They closely resemble the molars of early Homo specimens such as the 2.3 million-year-old specimen from the Busidima Formation at Hadar, or the 2.5-2.4 million-year-old specimen from Mille-Logya. It is quite different in form from the molars of Australopithecus gahri, and is small compared to the molars of either Australopithecus gahri or Paranthropus. 

Vallmoare et al. believe that although the Ledi-Geraru material is very limited, it provides clear evidence that both Australopithecus and Homo were present during the 3.0-2.5 million years ago interval, suggesting that multiple non-robust Hominin lineages were present in East Africa before 2.5 million years ago. 

The molar fragments from Asboli sufficiently resemble the Homo specimens from Hadar and Mille-Logya that Vallmoare et al. are confident that they represent the same species. However, they predate the older of these specimens (Mille-Logya) by at least 150 000 years. This adds to the evidence for an early appearance of Homo as Ledi-Geraru previously established by the LD 350-1 mandible, as does the LD 302-23 premolar which Vallmoare et al. describe from the Gurumaha sedimentary package.

The LD 750 and LD 760 material both come from the Lee Adoyta sedimentary package, although they are separated by 24 m of strata and the 2.63 million-year-old Lee Adoyta Tuffs. Nevertheless, both appear to represent a single species of Australopithecus (an assumption based in part upon the unlikelyhood of two similar species of Austrlopithecus coexisting in the same area). 

Vallmoare et al. consider four potential explanations for this material. Firstly, they might represent a late surviving population of Australopithecus afarensis (approximately 350 000 younger than the current youngest member of the species, from the Kada Hadar 2 Submember at Hadar). Secondly, they may represent an unknown species of Australopithecus ancestral to Paranthropus; the presence of Homo in this region implies that the Homo and Paranthropus lineages had diversified by this time, but Paranthropus itself appears to be absent. However, the oldest currently accepted member of the genus coming from about 2.7 million years ago from Nyayanga in Kenya and 2.66 million years ago from the Upper Ndolanya Beds at Laetoli in Tanzania, which makes this scenario less likely. Thirdly, they may represent earlier examples of Australopithecus gahri, which have not yet developed the distinctive features of the 2.5 million-year-old specimen BOU-VP-12/130, although the lack of similarities makes this unlikely. Finally, these specimens represent a new, as yet undescribed, species of Australopithecus.

Villmoare et al. conclude that were at least three species of Hominins present in the Afar Region between 3.0 and 2.5 million years ago, Australopithecus gahri, an unknown species of Homo, and an unknown species of Australopithecus. At the same time, Australopithecus africanus was still present in South Africa, and Paranthropus had already appeared in Kenya, Tanzania, and southern Ethiopia. The Ledi-Geraru environment was drier and more open than was typical for Australopithecus, very much the sort of environment associated with appearance and proliferation of the genus Homo, suggesting that, at least locally, Australopithecus may have been able to adjust to these more open environments, at least for a while.

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