> a varied group of very similar apes that interbred Such a group would simply be one species. Having many different species as ancestors also wouldn't explain

> a varied group of very similar apes that interbred Such a group would simply be one species. Having many different species as ancestors also wouldn't explain the exceptional homogeneity of the human genome. The present discovery though doesn't change things as much as the article tries to imply. It just means the speciation (from the appearance of A. afarensis to the disappearance of A. anamensis) lasted longer than previously thought, or at least that the A. afarensis species appeared earlier than we thought. All the rest is complete speculation and the discovery doesn't really give any reason to think our ancestry tree might be different than previously thought.