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Acknowledgements
We thank the Governments of Kenya and Tanzania for permission to carry out this research, the Kenya Wildlife Service for permission to work in the Sibiloi National Park, the National Museums of Kenya and the National Museum of Tanzania for access to specimens in their care, and the Turkana Basin Institute for support. The National Geographic Society, the Leakey Foundation and the Max Planck Society funded fieldwork or laboratory studies. Many people helped us with this research, including N. Adamali, R. Blumenschine, C. Boesch, F. Brown, P. Gunz, J. J. Hublin, W. Kimbel, K. Kupczik, R. Leakey, C. Lepre, D. Lieberman, P. Msemwa, R. Odoyo, R. Quinn, P. Rightmire, L. Schroeder, U. Schwarz, M. Skinner, H. Temming, A. Winzer and B. Wood. Curatorial assistance was given by A. Kweka, F. Manthi, E. Mbua, M. Muungu and J. Thiringi. KNM-ER 60000 was discovered by C. Nyete, KNM-ER 62000 by D. Elgite and KNM-ER 62003 by R. Moru. We particularly thank the Koobi Fora Research Project field crew: A. Aike, S. Aila, D. Elgite, M. Kirinya, D. Gidole, O. Kyalo, A. Longaye, A. Lawri, E. Linga, J. Lonyericho, S. Lomeiku, D. Muema, A. Moru, R. Moru, S. Muge, C. Nyete, L. Nzuve, H. Sale and A. Sharamo whose fieldwork led to the discovery of these specimens, and camp managers J. Mutuku and T. Ngundo. H. Churcher, J. Coreth, A. Hammond, J. LaCarrubba, F. Kirera, C. Lepre, M. Noback, R. Quinn, M. Skinner, I. Wallace and S. Wright participated in one or more of the 2007, 2008 or 2009 field expeditions when these specimens were discovered. We are grateful to F. and J. Pinto, W. Philips, M. Hettwer, P. Sylvester, H. Buchi, N. Seligman, E. von Simpson, J. Doerr and B. and J. Chelberg for their financial support of this fieldwork.
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Authors and Affiliations
Turkana Basin Institute, PO Box 24926, Nairobi 00502, Kenya ,
Meave G. Leakey,Christopher Kiarie&Louise N. Leakey
Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, 11794, New York, USA
Meave G. Leakey&Louise N. Leakey
Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
Fred Spoor
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK,
Fred Spoor&M. Christopher Dean
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, 08854-8066, New Jersey, USA
Craig S. Feibel
Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, 10003, New York, USA
Susan C. Antón
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- Meave G. Leakey
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- Fred Spoor
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- M. Christopher Dean
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- Craig S. Feibel
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- Susan C. Antón
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- Christopher Kiarie
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- Louise N. Leakey
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Contributions
Author Contributions M.G.L. and L.N.L. directed the field research, in which C.S.F. and F.S. participated. C.K. and F.S. prepared the hominin fossils, F.S. and M.C.D. made the virtual reconstructions, and C.S.F. studied the geological context. M.G.L., F.S., M.C.D., S.C.A. and L.N.L. made comparative observations and carried out analyses. F.S. took the lead in writing the paper, and S.C.A., M.C.D. and C.S.F. contributed.
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Correspondence to Meave G. Leakey or Fred Spoor.
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Leakey, M., Spoor, F., Dean, M. et al. New fossils from Koobi Fora in northern Kenya confirm taxonomic diversity in early hom*o. Nature 488, 201–204 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11322
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11322