Oldest Walking Human Ancestor Found

[timeout]

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- A team of U.S. and Ethiopian scientists has discovered the fossilized remains of what they believe is humankind's first walking ancestor, a hominid that lived in the wooded grasslands of the Horn of Africa nearly 4 million years ago.

The bones were discovered in February at a new site called Mille, in the northeastern Afar region of Ethiopia, said Bruce Latimer, director of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio. They are estimated to be 3.8-4 million years old.

The fossils include a complete tibia from the lower part of the leg, parts of a thighbone, ribs, vertebrae, a collarbone, pelvis and a complete shoulder blade, or scapula. There also is an ankle bone which, with the tibia, proves the creature walked upright, said Latimer, co-leader of the team that discovered the fossils.

The bones are the latest in a growing collection of early human fragments that help explain the evolutionary history of man.

"Right now we can say this is the world's oldest bipedal (an animal walking on two feet) and what makes this significant is because what makes us human is walking upright,'' Latimer said. "This new discovery will give us a picture of how walking upright occurred.''

 

[Valkhorn]

So here is yet another discovery that confirms homonid (and general) Evolution.

Funny how creationists and IDists are unable to do this sort of thing

 

[RedAndy]

Don't worry, it's either 100% ape or 100% human - we just can't agree on which yet!

 

[automan]

4 million year old bones, who cares? what they need is the written word, dig up something
they can read and they will believe it, if it's in a book it has got to be true,
the Creationist and the Mormons believe the most fantasmagoricle things because it is written in their book,
they don't question 'The Book' because they believe it is the truth, they just read it, end of story, job done,
nuff said, so forget the bones, what they require are hard facts, like words.

 

[Pesto]

"Right now we can say this is the world's oldest bipedal (an animal walking on two feet)

In another thread someone was complaining about secondary sources of scientific information. I think it was either Loudmouth or Valkhorn. I think this is a great example of that complaint.

T. Rex what?

I'm guessing it should read, "world's oldest bipedal human ancestor."

 

[Loudmouth]

In another thread someone was complaining about secondary sources of scientific information. I think it was either Loudmouth or Valkhorn. I think this is a great example of that complaint.

T. Rex what?

I'm guessing it should read, "world's oldest bipedal human ancestor."

The complainer was I. The same thing went through my head when I read it. Who knew that kangaroos and ostriches evolved bipedalism after humans.

Scientists expect very precise language and that is why I have such a low opinion of secondary lit.

I'm not sure, but I think this is the article related to the story.

Nature. 2006 Apr 13;440(7086):883-9. Links
Comment in: Nature. 2006 Apr 27;440(7088):1100-1. Asa Issie, Aramis and the origin of Australopithecus.

• White TD,
• WoldeGabriel G,
• Asfaw B,
• Ambrose S,
• Beyene Y,
• Bernor RL,
• Boisserie JR,
• Currie B,
• Gilbert H,
• Haile-Selassie Y,
• Hart WK,
• Hlusko LJ,
• Howell FC,
• Kono RT,
• Lehmann T,
• Louchart A,
• Lovejoy CO,
• Renne PR,
• Saegusa H,
• Vrba ES,
• Wesselman H,
• Suwa G.

Human Evolution Research Center, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. timwhite@berkeley.edu
The origin of Australopithecus, the genus widely interpreted as ancestral to Homo, is a central problem in human evolutionary studies. Australopithecus species differ markedly from extant African apes and candidate ancestral hominids such as Ardipithecus, Orrorin and Sahelanthropus. The earliest described Australopithecus species is Au. anamensis, the probable chronospecies ancestor of Au. afarensis. Here we describe newly discovered fossils from the Middle Awash study area that extend the known Au. anamensis range into northeastern Ethiopia. The new fossils are from chronometrically controlled stratigraphic sequences and date to about 4.1-4.2 million years ago. They include diagnostic craniodental remains, the largest hominid canine yet recovered, and the earliest Australopithecus femur. These new fossils are sampled from a woodland context. Temporal and anatomical intermediacy between Ar. ramidus and Au. afarensis suggest a relatively rapid shift from Ardipithecus to Australopithecus in this region of Africa, involving either replacement or accelerated phyletic evolution.