In this video, we will enter the world of prehistory as we examine a revolutionary discovery
regarding the origins of human evolution. Prepare to have your beliefs challenged as we discover the
latest development in the theory of migration from Africa. Join us on a journey back in time,
7 million years ago, where we will find the truth about the first steps of humanity.
These are the latest discoveries that are about to rewrite the evolutionary history of our species.
1. A new development on migration from Africa
The study of human evolution has been going on for many years and has become
even more interesting after the discovery of a million-and-a-half-year-old vertebra in Israel.
This recent find has provided valuable insights into the history of our species,
challenging the previously held theory that ancient humans migrated out of Africa in one wave.
The vertebra, believed to belong to an extinct human species, is the oldest evidence of the
human presence in Israel to date. The discovery led researchers to believe that during the
Pleistocene epoch, which lasted from 2.5 million years ago to 11,700 years ago, there were several
waves of migration from Africa to Eurasia. This era is notable for including the last ice age,
which would have posed a serious challenge to early humans making their way out of Africa.
The study's lead author, Alon Barash, a paleoanthropologist and human anatomist at
Bar-Ilan University in Israel, said the discovery of this ancient vertebra provides further evidence
that ancient human species were much more adaptable and resilient than previously thought.
"Discovering a new piece of the puzzle is always exciting in the world of archaeology,"
said John Hawkes, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"This latest discovery from the Ubaydiya site in the Jordan River Valley,
the second oldest archaeological site outside of Africa, is just that." - he adds
The site, which houses not only ancient stone artifacts similar to those found in East Africa
but also a collection of animal bones from extinct species such as saber-toothed cats and mammoths,
has been excavated since 1966. However, in 2018, after re-examining the bones from the site, a team
of scientists made a groundbreaking discovery. They found a vertebra that appeared to belong
to a hominin, a group that includes humans, our ancestors, and our closest evolutionary relatives.
After comparing the vertebra to those of animals that once lived in the Ubaydiya region,
such as bears, hyenas, hippos, rhinos, horses, gorillas, and chimpanzees,
the team concluded that it came from an extinct human species. Although there was not enough data
from the bone to identify the species, the researchers were able to determine that it
belonged to a child who was approximately 6 to 12 years old at the time of death.
This child would have been about 5 feet 1 inch (155 centimeters) tall and weighed
about 100-110 pounds (45-50 kilograms), the same as an 11-15-year-old modern human.
His height and weight were significantly greater than those of his contemporary peers.
Researchers estimate that if the child lived to adulthood, it could have grown even larger,
possibly up to 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm) and 220 pounds (100 kg).
This is in contrast to the 1.8 million-year-old human fossils found in Dmanisi, Georgia,
which were of small hominins ranging in height from 4 feet 9 inches (145 cm) to
5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) and weight 88 to 110 pounds (40 to 50 kg) as adults.
This latest discovery adds a new dimension to our understanding of ancient human evolution.
It serves as a reminder that even when we think we've discovered everything there is to know,
there's always something left to discover.
The stone tools found at each of the sites also offer further evidence of the differences between
the two human groups. The Oldowan tools found at Dmanisi are simple and usually made of one or more
flakes broken off with another stone. In contrast, the more complex Early Achewan tools found at
'Ubeidia include hand axes made of volcanic rock.
These exciting discoveries paint a rich and varied picture of the early human experience,
providing additional information about the history and culture of antiquity.
However, it is important to note that this fossil
may belong to an individual with some medical disorder, and care should be
taken when using it as a representative of an entire species. Dr. Hawkes notes.
However, the discovery of the 'Ubaydiya vertebra, along with other sites such as those in Jordan,
China, and Pakistan, leads researchers to believe that humans or other hominins
were in Eurasia much earlier than previously thought. As Dr. Barash says,
"The excavations at 'Ubeidiya must continue - who knows what bones are waiting to be discovered."
2. On 2 legs as early as 7 million years ago
The study of human evolution is a fascinating and long journey for scientists and archaeologists.
One of the important recent discoveries that have contributed to the understanding of our
ancestors is the 7 million-year-old species Sahelanthropus tchadensis.
This species, found in Chad, is believed to be one of the earliest known hominins
and has provided valuable insights into the early stages of human evolution.
The researchers made this discovery after examining a femur and a pair of forearm bones
from Sahelanthropus tchadensis. They show that this species was capable of both walking on two
legs and climbing trees. This unique combination of physical characteristics leads scientists to
believe that Sahelanthropus tchadensis may have been the oldest known hominin, a relative of
humans, dating back to the period after our ancestors split from those of modern apes.
The discovery of the species is the result of ongoing archaeological excavations and
research in the Chad region of Central Africa. They revealed the rich history and culture of
antiquity and continue to expand our understanding of the past by providing rich information about
the environment, climate, and habitats of Central Africa during the late Miocene.
Sahelanthropus tchadensis, also known as the "Tumai" hominid, is an interesting species
that lived about 7 million years ago, and what makes it so intriguing is that it possesses a
mix of human-like and chimpanzee-like features. For example, it had a small cranial capacity
similar to that of a chimpanzee, but it is also suggested that it may have walked on two legs.
This combination of features has led some researchers to suggest that Sahelanthropus
was an evolutionary "missing link" between chimpanzees and humans.
Despite its significance, the exact evolutionary position of Sahelanthropus remains a matter of
debate among researchers. Some believe that it was a direct ancestor of man,
while others that it was a side branch of the hominid line that eventually died out.
This has led to several alternative theories and historical mysteries surrounding Sahelanthropus.
While more research is needed to fully understand the evolutionary history of
the species, it challenges the traditional understanding of human origins and opens new
avenues for research and speculation in the field of paleoanthropology.
Its discovery raised new questions about the evolutionary path early
human ancestors took and shed new light on the diversity of early hominids.
In addition to its combination of physical features, Sahelanthropus also provides valuable
insights into the environment and climate of central Africa during the late Miocene,
a period that was critical to the evolution of early humans and their ancestors. Studies of the
sediments and rock layers in which the species was found reveal that during this period Central
Africa was a region of great ecological diversity, with habitats ranging from forest to savanna.
Despite the many questions that still accompany Sachelanthropus,
its discovery added a new and vital chapter to the history of human evolution.
3. Fossils from South Africa may rewrite the history of human evolution
Another recent study has shed new light on the history of human evolution, showing that
fossils found in South Africa may be over a million years older than previously thought.
This discovery has the potential to rewrite key milestones in our understanding of the
evolution of the genus Homo, of which Homo sapiens is the only surviving species.
For years, the species Australopithecus afarensis, known for the 3 million and 200,000-year-old
Lucy fossil, was thought to be a potential direct ancestor of humans. The genus Australopithecus,
which lived 4 million to 3 million years ago,
was long considered a leading candidate for the ancestor of Homo.
South Africa's Sterkfontein Caves, part of the Cradle of Humankind, are a treasure trove
for archaeologists and anthropologists. They are the richest source of australopithecine
fossils to date and gained recognition in 1936 with the discovery of the first
known adult Australopithecus, and over the years hundreds of hominin fossils have been found there,
usually classified as representatives of the species Australopithecus africanus.
As archaeologists continue to excavate and make discoveries, the story of human
evolution continues to unfold. Recent discoveries regarding the age of these ancient hominin fossils
testify to the ongoing efforts to piece together the puzzle of our ancient past.
For many years, the fossils found at Sterkfontein were thought to be only
2 million to 2.600 thousand years old, which would make them too young to be direct ancestors
of the genus Homo. Instead, researchers often suggested that the direct ancestors
of humans were Australopithecus species in East Africa, such as Lucy's species.
However, recent research has challenged this view
and presented new findings that suggest the Sterkfontein bones may be much older.
A team of archaeologists led by Purdue University geochronologist Daryl Granger
tried to give new estimates of the age of the Sterkfontein hominin fossils and found that
these bones could be between 3 million and 400 thousand to 3 million and 700 thousand years old.
This new dating makes them older than Lucy and opens up the possibility that Homo evolved from
the species Australopithecus in southern Africa, rather than in East Africa as previously thought.
Dating the fossils at Sterkfontein can be a difficult task, as the complex cave
system can result in older deposits being mixed with younger material,
complicating attempts to date the fossils accurately. Other methods,
such as examining the bones of other animals found around hominin fossils or the flowstone
associated with the fossil layers, also have their limitations and may not provide accurate dates.
However, scientists analyzed cosmogenic nuclides - rare isotopes of elements formed by cosmic rays.
These isotopes form when quartz-bearing rocks are exposed to the surface, but not after they have
been deeply buried in caves. The researchers were able to date the cave sediments and their fossils.
The results show that the age range of the Australopithecus
fossils in Sterkfontein falls within the newly suggested narrow time frame,
and at a time when there was significant hominin diversification in East Africa.
This suggests an early connection between hominins in southern Africa and eastern Africa.
The findings have important implications for the evolutionary history of these species,
as they suggest that Australopithecus africanus may be at least as old,
if not older, than Australopithecus afarensis,
and that the southern African species may have evolved into later hominins. including Homo.
However, the new cosmogenic technique is unlikely to resolve the controversy surrounding the age of
the Sterkfontein fossils and may require further research to reach a consensus among scientists.
As you can see science is becoming increasingly uncertain about our evolutionary history.
Unfortunately, our humble selves know even less about what happened in the millions of
years behind us, but we promise you one thing - We will not stop providing you with all the
perspectives of the latest research and discoveries. If you think our work is of
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