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Multiple Choice
Which two fossil species are known to have lived at the same time around 2.5–1 million years ago (mya)?
A
Paranthropus boisei and Homo habilis
B
Homo neanderthalensis and Paranthropus robustus
C
Homo sapiens and Australopithecus africanus
D
Australopithecus afarensis and Homo erectus
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the timeline of human evolution and the approximate time periods during which different species existed. This will help narrow down the options.
Step 2: Recall that Paranthropus boisei and Homo habilis are known to have coexisted during the time frame of approximately 2.5–1 million years ago. Paranthropus boisei was a robust australopithecine, while Homo habilis is considered one of the earliest members of the genus Homo.
Step 3: Eliminate the other options based on their respective timelines. For example, Homo neanderthalensis lived much later (around 400,000–40,000 years ago), and Paranthropus robustus lived in southern Africa around 2–1 million years ago, but not alongside Homo neanderthalensis.
Step 4: Note that Homo sapiens emerged much later (approximately 300,000 years ago), and Australopithecus africanus lived earlier (around 3–2 million years ago), so they could not have coexisted.
Step 5: Australopithecus afarensis lived even earlier (around 3.9–2.9 million years ago), and Homo erectus emerged later (around 1.9 million years ago), so they also did not overlap in the specified time frame.