How did Australopithecus bahrelghazali extend the known geographic range of Australopithecus?

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Side view illustration of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human ancestor, shown walking upright with a hairy body and ape-like facial features. A scale beside the figure marks 12 inches and 40 centimeters. — Australopithecus Artist's rendering of *Australopithecus afarensis*, which lived from 3.8 to 2.9 million years ago.

The discovery of Australopithecus bahrelghazali at Koro Toro in central Chad significantly expanded the known geographic range of the genus Australopithecus.

Prior to this 1995 find, the genus was primarily associated with sites in East Africa. By identifying this species in Central Africa, researchers extended the documented range of Australopithecus approximately 2,500 km (1,500 miles) to the west of the Great Rift Valley, which had previously been considered the primary region for these early hominins.12