After Caird: Aapmens, het verhaal van de evolutie van de mens (1994)

After Caird: Aapmens, het verhaal van de evolutie van de mens (1994)

In recent years the descent of man was often in the news because every time new and sensational finds have been made. It is generally assumed that the origin of the hominids (human-like apes and man itself) lies in Africa. There are three regions where hominid fossil are found (see map):  1 = the Rift Valley (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, ...) 2 = Southern Africa 3 = Tchad Probably the circumstances for fossilization there were relatively best. The Rift Valley is in fact a fault in the Earth's crust which is parallelled by many lakes. This area was an attractive place to live and it was also favourable for fossilization of bodies. The first discoveries of fossils of hominids were made in South Africa in caves and in quarries. The finds in Tchad date from the last 15 years. Know more? List and description of the hominid species Great Rift Valley

This is one of the most impressive fossils of hominids: a 27 m long trail of footprints. It is made by two upright walking apes called Australopithecus afarensis. The trail was found and prepared  by Mary Leaky, the wife of Richard Leaky. It is situated in the Olduvai valley in Tanzania. The age is estimated at 3.6 million years. There had just been an outburst of a vulcano and these animals were walking through the cooled down wet ash and thus left their footprints. Upright walking apes came into existence probably about 7 million years ago. They stood at the base of a radiation of which only one species in the whole world is left: Homo sapiens (us). For  the time being this is an extremely successful species. Know more? The Laetoli footprints (with a film)

Evolution 38

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