The Omo-Mursi Research Project investigates the Mursi Formation in the lower Omo Valley of southwestern Ethiopia. Its fossil-bearing deposits date to the Pliocene, more than four million years ago, and include localities such as Yellow Sands and Cholo. Research combines the study of animal fossils, geology, and ancient soils to reconstruct the region’s past environments. These investigations help scientists understand the diversity of habitats in eastern Africa during an important period in early human evolution.