This suggests, the authors theorize, that these early highlanders adapted quickly to a high-altitude environment.
The team analyzed the teeth and jaw as never before, and they published their findings Thursday in Science. They compared the teeth to those of other early Homo species and suggest that the child was H. erectus. That group likely made and used the abundant stone tools of the Oldowan technology found with the fossil, the authors say, as well as the more advanced Acheulean tools also found in the area, from nearly the same time period. This suggests, the authors theorize, that these early highlanders adapted quickly to a high-altitude environment.