A switch from a humid to a dry climate has led the Eastern African Rift Zone to pull apart more freely, new research finds.

Lake Turkana in northern Kenya is often called the cradle of humankind. Home to some of the earliest hominids, its fossil-rich basin has helped scientists piece together the story of human evolution.

This rift is slowly pulling the African continent apart, and over millions of years, it could isolate the eastern portion of ...