Curiosity
2-Million-Year-Old Creature Discovered: Australopithecus Sediba Has Mix Of Human And Ape Traites
This image courtesy of the University of the Witwatersrand shows a composite reconstruction of ‘Australopithecus sediba’ based on recovered material from MH1, MH2 and MH4 and based upon the research presented in the accompanying manuscripts. UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND/LEE BERGER
A two million year old fossil of a creature found five years ago in a cave outside Johannesburg has some scientist believing that the missing link may have been found.
At the very least, this unique species, called Australopithecus sediba or “A. sediba” for short, had both ape and human like skeletal qualities. For example, A. sediba had long arms which anthropologists believe would have given it the power to speedily climb trees. The creature that was found measured 4 feet in height with an ape-sized brain.
The A. sediba also had a small narrow rib cage like apes which too aides in climbing. As for the human like features, the creature had a flexible spine with inward rotation of the hip and knees which coupled with a flat footed movement would allow the A. sediba to walk erect for long distances – clearly a human-like quality.
“The whole foot itself looks to be twisted inwards,” explained anthropologist Jeremy DeSilva of Boston University. “By landing on the outside of this twisted-in foot, the ground is going to push back with considerable force and roll that foot to the inside.”
“Just a weird, weird combination,” said DeSilva.
The A. sediba has been dated 200,000 years prior to homo erectus.
If it indeed is the “missing” link, it would suggest an unusually rapid evolution especially in regards to the brain. The creatures’ hands also allowed it to make use of tools.
“It is the perfect compromise of something that has the need to walk on the ground efficiently for long distances. At the same time, it is a very capable climber,” said Lee Berger, project leader at the Wits Evolutionary Studies Institute in South Africa.
“We have more complete specimens of fossils than for any other early hominin species that has ever been discovered. What this means is that we can make assessments of the anatomy and behavior of this species with a great deal of confidence,” Berger told Reuters.
The A. sediba has been studied at the Wits Evolutionary Studies Institute in South Africa.
On The Web:
2-Million-Year-Old Creature: Scientists Find Human, Ape Missing Link [PHOTOS] [VIDEO]
http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/4916/20130412/2-million-year-old-creature-human-ape.htm
2 million-year-old creature had mix of ape, human traits 39
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/04/12/2-million-year-old-creature-had-mix-of-ape-human-traits
Two-million-year-old fossils detail early humans
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/science/news/article.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10877077