It was bipedal, as shown by its femur, foot bones, and pelvis. africanus flourished as a species between 3.3 Ma (Million years ago) and about 2.1 Ma. africanus was related to the ancestors of the genus Homo.Ī. Over time, however, more evidence from later discovered fossils was gathered which demonstrated that A. Dart believed that this new species represented a human ancestor, but this was originally rejected on account of its small brain. africanus was found at the Taung site of the Cradle of Humankind in 1924 and described by Raymond Dart. Ples." (José Braga Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 4.0 ) Australopithecus africanus The original complete skull (without upper teeth and mandible) of a 2.1-million-year-old Australopithecus africanus specimen known as "Mrs. Some major hominin species that dominated the area include Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus, Homo erectus, and Homo naledi. At one point, perhaps 2 million years ago, there were as many as three different genera of hominins in the area simultaneously, australopithecines (genus Australopithecus), paranthropines (genus Paranthropus), and humans (genus Homo). For millions of years, multiple hominin species appear to have coexisted in the Cradle of Humankind. For millions of years, however, the landscape was much more diverse. Today, there is one species of hominin in the Highveld, Homo sapiens. (Chris Stringer / CC BY 4.0 ) Hominins of the Cradle of Humankind Replica crania of (left to right) Homo habilis (KNM-ER 1813, Koobi Fora, Kenya ∼1.8 million years old), an early Homo erectus (D2700, Dmanisi, Georgia ∼1.8 million years old) and Homo floresiensis (Liang Bua 1, Indonesia ∼20,000 years old) are compared with actual fragments of cranial material of Homo naledi that have been overlaid on a virtual reconstruction (far right note some of the images of H. Nonetheless, industry in the area has led to the discovery of a wealth of fossils which tell the story of human evolution in southern Africa. Over the past century and a half, irresponsible use of the land has led to significant environmental degradation through overgrazing, waste dumping, and contamination of water by agrochemicals. Over the course of the past 3 million years, the region has been inhabited by lions, baboons, hyenas, saber-toothed cats, and, of course, hominins. This is important for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The owls will sometimes bring rodent remains into the caves. The cave systems within the Highveld is used for roosting by bats and owls. The animals in the modern Highveld include antelope, many bird species, hyenas, leopards, owls, bats, and rodents. Changes in Human Hunting Practices May Explain Human Brain Development.Modern Humans Interbred With At Least Five Archaic Human Groups.The grasslands also have a large temperature range over the course of the year, from -12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) to 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit). The Highveld Grassland, or the Highveld, is classified as a “fire climax grassland.” This means that wildfires play an important role in the local ecosystem, including the balance between grass and trees. The site or network of sites dubbed the “Cradle of Humankind” is located in the Rocky Highveld Grassland of South Africa. ( Wits University ) The South African Network Sites in the Cradle of Humankind This makes the Cradle of Humankind a chronicle of human evolution, covering about 3 million years from the rise of Australopithecus africanus to almost the present.įamous human evolution scientist Lee Berger holds the skull of Homo naledi, which was found in 2015 in the Cradle of Humankind area of South Africa. The many caves and rock outcrops of this UNESCO world heritage site, and just outside of it, have produced fossils of up to five hominin species, including Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo naledi. Of the many fascinating fossil sites in Africa, an important one is the Cradle of Humankind outside of Johannesburg, South Africa.
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