ancient people ... What were they?In Africa and southern Eurasia found fossils of representatives of the family of hominids that lived in different regions of our planet about 2 million years ago and earlier.This group includes Homo habilis or Australopithecus habilis.Found fossil creatures related to the species Homo hablilis, its origin and the relationships with other hominids provoked heated debate among paleoanthropologists.
finds at Olduvai Gorge and other areas of Africa
all started with the findings Leakey family paleoanthropologists.Several generations since 1930, led the search for human ancestors in Africa.In the summer of 1960 at Olduvai Gorge in north-western Tanzania, Jonathan Leakey and his companions found the fossils belonged to a child of 11-12 years.The bones lay in the land of 1.75 million years.The structural features of the foot to prove that there were a creature straight.New hominid was named Prezinjanthropus first, but after a few years there will be another scientific term - "handy man".The species name refers to the use of primitive stone tools found near the bones in the same geological strata.In Kenya in 1961, a team of scientists unearthed the remains of hominids that lived in Africa 1,6-2,33 million years ago.For more complete specimens were found in 1972 near Lake Turkana.Age findings was 1.9 million years old.New excavations did not clarified the picture.
ancient people.Homo habilis
some time for fossil ancestors found in the Olduvai Gorge, used two names - Australopithecus hablilis and Homo hablilis.This was due to the doubts that existed among paleoanthropologists about kinship with other hominids.Some researchers believe this kind of the earliest ancestor of modern humans.Found Faces of Homo habilis could walk on their hind legs, as do modern humans.Perhaps he spent the night in the trees, and the rest took refuge in the trees from predators.It has been suggested that H. hablilis is an ancestor of Homo erectus.There were experts who said that being found to the genus Australopithecus is, the representatives of which have become extinct or are found on the planet about 1 million years.The reason for the differences is the erroneous assumption of scientists that human evolution is straight.For a long time it was thought that one species of primates giving rise to another.Later, a hypothesis about the possible coexistence of the past several species of hominid, Australopithecus how and people.There was a more complex picture of human evolution than the one that existed at the beginning and middle of the last century.
Homo habilis.Characteristic appearance
on many features of their appearance representatives species H. hablilis reminiscent of Australopithecus.They had an apelike appearance, which implies a short body and long, hanging below the knees upper limb, comparable in size to the legs.There are suggestions that A. afarensis, lived over 3 million years ago, was a direct ancestor of H. hablilis.The proximity of this kind to the main line of human evolution is confirmed by the characteristic structure of the skull.The growth of males was about 1.5-1.6 m, weight - about 45 kg, the females were lower.Features that distinguish H. hablilis from Australopithecus:
- relatively large brain;
- small teeth;
- prominent nose;
- flexible gait;
- cranial capacity of a species H. hablilis was 630-700 cm3.
lifestyle and diet Homo habilis
change in habitat could cause various adaptive features in the structure of the trunk, limbs, digestive system.Found with the remains of the hominid fossil animal bones, pollen, primitive tools prove that these beings ate meat, and fruits, insects and plants.The word "skilled" in the name of the first man characterizes the structural features of the brush adapted to capture tools.
ancient creatures broken bones to extract the nutritious marrow from the interior, combined protection from predators and the search for food.There are data that show that it was then between women and men arose division of labor.
stronger sex extracted meat, and the females were harvested plant products.Acquired traits of behavior were beneficial for survival in a changing habitat conditions.
manufacture and use tools
Tools of Homo habilis were stone, roughly treated.Hominids used as axes and scrapers rubble, stones and bone fragments were used for digging roots out of the ground.Stones may wood, were the main materials for making tools and protection from predators.
scrapers with sharp edges were used for dissection of carcasses, cutting tendons, cleaning skins.Some scientists suggest that the first instruments were the result of natural factors.Water, wind, erosion treated with natural materials rather than Homo habilis hand.Through microscopic studies revealed scratches and grooves of other stones - tools with which there making tools.
Climate change and the evolution of hominids
During cooling, which occurred in the Eastern Hemisphere, more than 3 million years ago, the ancient tropical forests were replaced by savanna.There is evidence that the evolution of animals Eastern and Southern Africa has been associated with these changes in climate.
ancient primates was necessary to find additional sources of food, giving more power than the forest fruits and root vegetables.One branch of evolution gave rise to Australopithecus, Homo habilis continued this line.The emergence of other hominids was the result of development in the direction of the use of not only plant but also animal food.The main feature of the transition from Australopithecus to the people is the manufacture of primitive tools and an increase in the skull.
Kinship with other Homo habilis fossil hominids
Two-legged bipedal primates species H. hablilis appearance almost identical to A. afarensis, with whom they share the origin.In central China have been found tools and bones of hominids older than 1.9 million years.Other remains of the species H. hablilis found in the archaeological sites of Tanzania, Kenya, Sterkfontein.The findings demonstrate widespread species in Africa and Asia.
possible that for 0.5 million years on the planet at the same time co-existed Australopithecus, Homo erectus, habilis and work.The differences between the types of very minor, they can lead a different way of life, in different ecological niche.In Homo erectus body proportions were close to the same parameters of H. sapiens, but was more prominent nose than that of the species H. erectus.Extinct hominids:
- handy man;
- Homo erectus (Homo erectus);
- hours. Lake Rudolf (H. rudolfensis);
- hours. Georgia (H. georgicus);
- hours. Worker (H. egaster).
place a person skilled in the evolution of Homo sapiens
Years paleoanthropologists minds is the question of the direct ancestors of modern humans.Homo habilis is one of them?Just as Australopithecus, the very first people ate nuts, seeds and roots.But they were able to make tools and using them to produce their own animal food.Ancient member of the genus Homo - H. erectus - did not belong to Australopithecus.It was the first direct ancestor of modern man who, after lengthy debate, scientists involved in the kind of people (Homo) family of hominids.Skeletal remains and tools H. erectus have been found not only in Africa but also in Asia and Europe.At the same time there was Homo erectus who used more sophisticated way of handling stone fabrication tools.Man worker was carnivorous and also used to treat stones, wood, bones as primitive tools.
