How can paleoanthropologists determine whether a specimen is a new species of hominin or whether it is an individual of an already known hominin species?

A) Study the extent of variation within the known species.
B) Evaluate Homoplasic traits among known taxa.
C) Evaluate analogous traits among known taxa.
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c

Paleoanthropologists

Scientists who study ancient human species, their evolution, and their paleoecology through the examination of fossils and other archaeological remains.

Homoplasic Traits

Traits that appear similar between organisms due to convergent evolution rather than shared ancestry, often resulting from adaptations to similar environmental pressures.

Specimen

A sample or individual organism used for scientific study and analysis, representing a part of a larger population.