,validPeriod= skull of homo Naledi (Themba HADEBE / AP) 1 -> Until now, paleontologists were in seventh heaven if they could find in one place a few fragments of facial bones and teeth. Now, not only did the number of discovered hundreds of bones gone, it’s still belong to a previously unknown representative of our species – Homo. – We have almost every bone in the body, in addition to hundreds of copies ready for testing. That is why today can be considered Homo Naledi for the best which has been examined fossilized member of our lines of species – says Dr. Lee Berger, lead author of the work. An astonishing mosaic of features Homo Naledi gained a name from the cave where it was found (“Naledi” in the local Sotho language is a star). How to write its discoverer, it is an astonishing mosaic of characteristics for both very primitive members of the genus Homo, and our direct ancestors largely reminiscent of human. His teeth are like the teeth of Homo habilis, or human clever but the bones of the shoulder are clearly monkey. Construction of hand suggests that he could use primitive tools, but the same fingers – strongly twisted, like monkeys – shows that well climbed trees. “Feet in turn, are virtually indistinguishable from our own lives. Combined with a relatively long legs and slender physique suggests that Homo Naledi was well suited for hiking,” – writes Dr. William Harcourt-Smith of the Museum of Natural History in New York, one of the members over 50-strong group of researchers from around the world who piece by piece analyzed the find. This unusual combination of features not seen never before in the history of research into the origins of man – adds Harcourt-Smith. Homo Naledi measured about 150 cm tall and weighed no more than 50 kg. Small was also his brain, he had only 500 cc. and the size does not exceed ripe oranges – but that does not mean that much in it happening. Scientists from the beginning the most intrigued, how it happened that so many well-preserved bones – both men and women , adults and children – were in a completely isolated and difficult to reach. “We have reviewed all possible scenarios and came to the conclusion that the burial had to be intentional. And it implies that the surviving likely 2 -2.5 million years ago, Homo Naledi showed ritualistic behavior and symbolic thinking. Except that these qualities has so far been associated with a much later stages of our evolution taking place in the last 200 thousand. years, “- the authors write discoveries. Is Homo Naledi is the long-sought missing link in our evolution? Like most paleontologists, researchers from South Africa and cooperating with them like the plague teams avoid the term. In their view, more relevant it is the recognition of Homo Naledi as a bridge between the original bipedal primates and the direct ancestors of modern man. The first discovery First discovered in the cave Rising Star (for that matter, the whole expedition was called), located approximately 50 km from Johannesburg, made in November 2013. Prof. Lee Berger, he was only a few fragments of bone, but once it became clear to him that this is just the beginning. Proper expedition, organized by the University of Witwatersrand, the South African National Research Foundation and the magazine “National Geographic”, took place in March 2014. It was in the course of, the period of just 21 days excavated hundreds of bones of our new ancestor. As already mentioned, Homo Naledi was named in honor of the cave where it was found (“Naledi” in the local language Sotho, belonging to the Bantu group of languages, means “star”). The way to it, however, was not strewn with roses – 90 meters in very narrow in some places descending vertically down the rocky corridor. The tour was so difficult that its initial exploration appointed extraordinary six-team consisting exclusively of very lean women who were able to squeeze through the entrance hole. One of the “underground astronauts” because so called researchers was Marina Elliott. – It was without doubt one of the toughest and most dangerous expeditions in the history of paleontology. On the other hand, when I first got to the chamber Dinaledi (see graphic) and saw what was there, I felt like Howard Carter shortly after the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun – says today Elliott. In fact, every aspect of the amazing discoveries of scientists in amazement. “Such a large number of bones and their specific location – in a cave – indicate that buried them there absolutely on purpose. I’ve never seen such thing in our ancestors who are at such a primitive stage of development. This could have enormous implications for understanding as developed as the behavior of modern humans “- the researchers write. Like most of their colleagues rather avoid using the term” missing link “. According to Lee Berger, rather we can speak of a “bridge” between the primary bipedal primates and the direct ancestors of modern man. – This is simply unique – commented in an interview with the BBC prof. Fred Spoor of University College London. Scientists have so far not been able to determine exactly how long ago they lived individuals of the species Homo Naledi, whose remains were found in a South African cave. Preliminary studies they have conducted prof. Lee Berger, suggests that this may be a period of about 2-2.5 million years ago. The precise age of the specimen hinders mixing of the layers of sediment found in the cave. The intended burial As the of these preliminary studies, Homo Naledi had a tiny brain (brain size gorilla) and rather crudely developed (also resembling a monkey), a small bone structure of the pelvis and shoulders. Feet and hands were “human”, but the fingers have a much more monkey. More recent was in turn the bones of the jaw and jaw. All this meant that some researchers now show doubt that we are dealing here not with a single species, but with different, and ejecting the thesis of a “new ancestor “is premature. Sam Lee Berger, but there is no doubt that it was something (or rather someone) that we face. ” The room, which contained the remains. so called. Dinaledi chamber, it was always completely isolated from the other chambers and there was never directly open to the outside, “- writes Dr Paul Dirks of the University of Queensland (Australia), one of the authors work in” eLife “. What’s more, very significant is also almost complete lack of bones of other animals – among the hundreds of bones of Homo Naledi found only a few bones of birds and mice – which in itself is unique in the history of discoveries paleontological. Search Results bone does not have also no signs of scavengers or predators, as well as natural processes – the type of water currents – which might make that the remains found at this location. According to Dirks, Berger, and other authors of the paper proves conclusively that Homo Naledi, although it was at such a primitive stage of development, buried their kin in a completely deliberate and orderly. This suggests, then, that even at this early stage, this species exhibited behavior ritual and symbolic thinking, so features that until now was associated with a significantly later stages of our evolution taking place in the last 200,000 years. What is the explanation to this puzzle? We do not know. – Everything that we discovered (so far as it is already known that the cave there are hundreds of other artifacts) so far proves that nature for a long time experimenting with human evolution and gave rise to various, different forms of human-like creatures. – Finally, he survived only one line, our – sums up Lee Berger. To assess Login or zarejestrujX
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More than 1,550 bones, including teeth 140, belonging to at least 15 individuals – in one place, in a cave Rising Star in South Africa. It is the greatest discovery of this type carried out on the African continent – the cradle of us all. I record in the history of research into the origins of man – they write in the latest issue of the magazine “eLife” scientists from the South African University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
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