Australopithecus afarensis Essays

One of the first known human ancestors to be recorded, Australopithecus afarensis, is the main focus of BBC’ Prehistoric Autopsy finale. The show attempts to recreate the structure of a particular set of remains named Lucy. Lucy’s skeleton bears many similar physical characteristics to modern-day humans. Lucy’s remains present the question of why our ancestors left the safety of the trees, the first evidence of bipedalism in primates, and the cost of evolving towards bipedalism on the body. Before

Donald Johnson had discovered an Australopithecus afarensis in Ethiopia during the year of 1974. Later to be named Lucy, this ape ended up being the, oldest potential ancestor for the hominid species, according to BBC. According to PBS, before her discovery, scientists had rationalized that the main trait that separated humans from apes was intelligence. This was based on the cranial capacity of the skull. Perhaps Lucy developed human-like features to hunt for food or possibly even to look over tall

The world of anthropology is ever changing and each new discovery can discredit multiple other discoveries. Laetoli, Tanzania has been one site that has discovered and rediscovered multiple species of hominins, but the greatest discovery there was an ancient footprint trail left by our hominin ancestors. There have been other footprint trails discovered in other parts of the world, but none as old as the Laetoli trail. The Laetoli footprints are important because it lets us look into the species

It has been decades since paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson discovered the first fossilized bone of Australopithecus afarensis. Donald and his team had been surveying a remote area in Ethiopia when the discovery was made. Donald later unearthed vertebra, skull fragments, and a jaw bone further giving validity to a new hominid he would later name Lucy. It wouldn’t be for a few years, but the discovery would be labeled as the “missing link” between humans and a direct ancestor. The scientific community

The findings that I will be discussing are that of A. Afarensis. The findings include a complete fossilized skull, pelvis and partial foot and shin. The original findings of A. Afarensis were consistent of a 40% complete skeleton given the name Lucy was found in Ethiopia in 1974 by Don Johnson of the institute of human origins . The fossil contained a small skull with a cranial capacity ranging from 425cm3 to 500cm3, various teeth, and other various fragments estimated around 3.7MYA. The individual

The Taung Child is the fossilised skull of a young Australopithecus africanus. When this 3 year child's skull was found in 1924, it was one of the first early human fossils to be found in South Africa. It was discovered by Raymond Dart through a local quarrymen. The Taung Child’s first molars had only just begun to rupture through the gum suggesting that the fossilized jaw belongs to a child. Upon closer inspection of the hominid’s dental development, crown formation, and root length suggest the

When the first versions of ourselves appear between seven and six million years ago in the southern and eastern parts of Africa we brought a small era of human life into the world. When I say small I mean it compared to the universe. We only started to make and use simple tools 3.4 million years ago. Our early stages we were hunters and gatherers but then we planted crops because of the growing population. We only first develop International crop planting in 9000 B.C.E. in the Fertile Crescent.

Article Review #3 The article “Ardipithecus ramidus: A New Kind of Ancestor: Ardipithecus Unveiled” written by Anna Gibbons, talks about how scientist learn many things about human evolution through artifacts of ancestors, DNA and bones. All of this helps reveals different things about our past and how we came to be. This article briefly mentions Lucy and it mainly focuses on the discovery of ardipithecus ramidus. In the short introductory paragraph, Gibbons mentions Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old

Up in the Rwandan mountain forests, renowned primatologist Dian Fossey studied and lived amongst the enigmatic silverback gorillas for as long as 14 years. A humble outpost was mounted in September 24, 1967. This remote outpost—also called the Karisoke Research Center—sat nestled between the volcanic Virunga Mountains. The study she would then conduct there was extensive: she diligently observed the mountain gorillas and wrote monthly reports. To gain the creatures’ trust, Fossey went to incredible

Australopithecus africanus is one of the possible direct ancestor of Paranthropus robustus. separating new species in to cladograms is a very difficult task, the case of Paranthropus robustus is no different. The two most common arguments as to what is the direct ancestor of P. robustus is A. aferensis or Australopithecus africanus. Both of these two species have notable similarities and differences with P. robustus, and the answer to who is the ancestor is not cut and dry. The Pre Cranial morphology

1. Darwin’s theory of Natural selection Charles Darwin and Wallace were two British Naturalists. These two Naturalists were vastly inspired by the scientific revolution. Darwin and Wallace encountered a believable mechanism for evolutionary change through careful observation of different species. Darwin also discovered the variation among species by observing their interaction with the environment. This believable mechanism for evolutionary change known as the Natural Selection theory transformed

The accomplishments of Charles Darwin have made contributions to three fields: evolutionary biology; the philosophy of science; and the modern zeitgeist. Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace each developed an explanation of why variations occur and basic mechanism of evolution. This mechanism is known as natural selection. Even though both Darwin and Wallace each developed explanation for natural selection; Charles Darwin gave a more thorough explanation and documented each theory to his book

of gravity over the knees and feet , allowing for more efficient balance and energy conservation. This is why chimps waddle back and forth when they walk because they must shift the centre of gravity to each leg. Examining the fossil of Australopithecus afarensis and extinct hominid ancestor, we can conclude that it was at least partially bipedal due to the presence of the valgus angle among other morphological characteristics. The human spine is curved slightly and is s-shaped, enabling human to

As my team and I discovered a new fossil in our excavation project, the unknown site yielded the skull of a mysterious specimen. Our goal as reputable anthropologist was to analyze the specimen to the best of our ability so our team can provide the most probable and reliable taxonomic identification. In order for us to effectively interpret the results our experiment yielded, we needed to review our knowledge in human evolution. The field that uncovers the mystery of the evolution of humans is paleoanthropology

Leakey was responsible for naming the species in 1995.Known as Lucy fossil Australopithecus afarensis ranged through Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania from 3.85 to 2.95 million years ago. The species is thought to be either a direct ancestor of genus Homo or a close relative of such an ancestor. It is also the first species that made scientists realize that upright walking evolved before large brains. It was discovered that afarensis walked on two legs but still had long arms for climbing trees. Its brain

dated the fossils to be 1.9 million-years-old which makes this species younger than Australopithecus africanus and contemporary with Homo habilis. This, along with the mix of Homo and Australopithecine traits, led Berger to the theorize that this species was a descendant of A. africanus because of its location, and ancestor to Homo ergaster because of the Homo traits. Berger 's theory would thereby toss A. afarensis and H. habilis into the junk drawer where hominid dead ends are kept. The fossils

resemble a cross between us and other living primates. Though we do not have direct links in all cases, tracing our history and evolution is interesting, and by looking to the past, we can see into the future. Possible ancestors include Australopithecus afarensis, africanus, and robustus, as well as Homo habilis, which all have near-human traits. The physical differentiation in these four species highlight evolution, and in

Evolution, the definition of evolution is the process different kinds of living organisms that have developed and diversified from earlier forms during beginning of earth. Or gradual development of something from a simple form to a more complex form. The purpose of the lab is to help us understand how the skulls changed over time. It's also to help us understand what scientist observes. Scientists conclude that the evolution is an relatable theory because, they find the skulls and observe how the

1.According to Rice et al (2008:56) the rational that directed Darwin to his theory of natural selection pass on calming like this: all species are able of bring into being more offspring than their food wealth can sustain. Biological variation occurs in all species, and this variation is inherited. There are more those born than there is food to sustain them, there is rivalry between individuals for provisions. Some individuals have differences that are positive for survival, such as additional

In order to compare these anatomical differences, especially regarding tooth size and shape of skull, I will be looking into two hominids (and their skulls) in particular—Australopithecus Afarensis and Paranthropus Boisei. Under the category of Gracile Australopithecine, the Australopithecus Afarensis and the skull being used was from Ethiopia during the Pliocene epoch, roughly around 5.3-1.8 million years ago. As for the Paranthropus Boisei—under the category of Robust Australopithecine—this