<prompt> Fingqa isihloko: CNN Ngokutholakala kwethambo lomhlathi elimpunga, eliyimpuphu ekhoneni elikude lase-Ethiopia, umfundi wase-Arizona State University kungenzeka ukuthi ushintshe indlela esiqonda ngayo okhokho bethu bokuqala. Umhlathi ongaphansi oyingxenye uwubufakazi obudala kunabo bonke bokuthi abantu banamuhla bangabesinye sohlobo lwe - Homo, ngokusho kocwaningo olwanyatheliswa ngoLwesithathu kumagazini i - Science. Leli thambo lomhlathi lineminyaka engu - 2,8 000 000 edlule - okuyisikhathi esingaphambi kweminyaka engu - 400 000 yemivubukulo eyaziwayo yohlu lozalo lwe - Homo, ngokusho kwe - Arizona State University. UChalachew Seyoum, umfundi wase-Ethiopia, wathola leli fosili - uhlangothi lwesobunxele lomhlathi ongezansi onamazinyo amahlanu - ngesikhathi ehlola indawo esifundeni sase-Afar empumalanga ye-Ethiopia ngo-2013. Ngokuthembeka, kwakuyisikhathi esijabulisayo, kusho uSeyum, ngokusho kwesitatimende sezindaba esikhishwe eyunivesithi. Nganginokuhlangenwe nakho okuhle ekuhloleni indawo futhi ngazi ukuthi kunamathafa angahle abe khona. Ngakhwela ithafa elincane futhi ngathola lesi silwane emaphethelweni egquma. Ubudala balesi silwane esivuthiwe busho ukuthi singasiza ekuvaleni igebe elibalulekile olwazini lwethu. Imfosili etholakale ngumdobi ingase iveze uhlobo olusha lomuntu wasendulo. Kusho nokuthi uhlobo lwe-Homo kungenzeka lwavela eminyakeni ecishe ibe yingxenye yesigidi ngaphambili kunalokho obekucatshangwa. Abacwaningi baye bathola izinsalela zezinsalela ezineminyaka eyizigidi ezintathu noma ngaphezulu, njengethambo lika-Lucy, izinsalela ezidumile ezineminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-3,2 ubudala zohlobo lwe-Australopithecus afarensis. Lezo zinsalela zatholakala ngo-1974 eduze nendawo okwatholakala kuyo okwakamuva. Ososayensi baye bathola nezinsalela ezineminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-2,3 ubudala noma ngaphansi, ezisesidlangalaleni seHomo futhi ezisondelene kakhulu nabantu banamuhla. Kodwa kuze kube manje, kunobufakazi obuncane bokuthi kwakukhona izinsalela zeminyaka engu-700 000 phakathi - inkathi ebalulekile ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo kusuka kuma-hominid afana noLucy kuya kuhlobo lwe-Homo. UWilliam H. Kimbel wathi, Ukubaluleka kwalesi sibonelo ukuthi sinezela iphuzu lemininingwane esikhathini sokhokho bethu esinolwazi oluncane kakhulu ngaso.  <response>: Leli thambo lomhlathi latholakala esifundeni sase-Afar e-Ethiopia, esingekude nalapho kwatholakala khona uLucy. Kuye kwathiwa yabhalwa eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-2,8 edlule, okusho ukuthi isiza ekuvaleni igebe elibalulekile olwazini lwethu. 