On the run: AI reveals leopards were top predators of early humans 2M years ago

Researchers at Rice University used AI to analyze bite marks on 2-million-year-old fossils of Homo habilis, revealing that leopards were their primary predators. The study challenges assumptions about early human dominance and suggests that despite developing stone tools and eating meat, these early humans hadn’t yet reached the top of the food chain.

How it works: The research team trained computer vision models to detect patterns in fossil bite marks that are too small for human analysis.

• Scientists examined fossils showing leopard bite marks embedded in hominin skulls, using AI to identify predator-specific patterns with unprecedented precision.
• The computer vision technology could analyze microscopic details that traditional archaeological methods might miss.

In plain English: Think of it like training a very sophisticated microscope that can “see” patterns humans can’t detect. The AI acts like a detective, learning to recognize the unique “fingerprints” that different predators leave when they bite, then applying that knowledge to ancient fossils.

What they found: The AI analysis revealed that leopards posed the greatest threat to early humans, contradicting theories about Homo habilis as an emerging apex predator.

• Despite their adoption of stone tool-making and meat consumption—both considered evolutionary advantages—these early humans remained vulnerable to predation.
• The findings support the theory that humans wouldn’t dominate the food chain until much later in their evolutionary development.

Why this matters: The research provides new evidence that technological advancement doesn’t immediately translate to ecological dominance.

• It demonstrates how AI can unlock insights from archaeological evidence that were previously impossible to detect.
• The study reshapes our understanding of early human survival strategies and the gradual path to becoming apex predators.

The big picture: This work represents a growing trend of using artificial intelligence to reexamine historical and archaeological assumptions, potentially revealing new insights about human evolution that traditional methods couldn’t uncover.