encounteredan
Encounteredan is a term used in paleontological literature to describe a set of fossil remains that were first discovered in the late 1990s in the upper Pliocene strata of the Encanto Basin in southern Chile. The designation was proposed by Dr. María Santiago and colleagues to refer to a distinct clade of bipedal hominins that exhibit a combination of anatomical features intermediate between the genus *Australopithecus* and early *Homo* species.
The initial specimen, an isolated lower molar designated EC-1, displayed a pronounced paraconid and a weak bilaminar
Taxonomically, Encounteredan has been classified within the subfamily Australopithecinae, but its exact phylogenetic placement remains debated.
Encounteredan has captured public interest due to its potential role in illustrating evolutionary pathways in South