Australopithecus africanus
In the greatest debate of anthropology lies the all consuming desire to know where we as humans come from. Who were our ancestors and what made them so different from us? It is debated if Australopithecus africanus or Australopithecus afarensis is the direct ancestor to the genus homo. Through critical evaluation of the features of the skeleton, diet and dentition, and use of bipedality, it is evident that A. africanus is a direct ancestor to modern humans while still possessing features from both modern humans and previous hominins. What makes A. africanus primarily more human-like than other australopithecines are its teeth and premolars. They had relatively large molars and premolars with shorter canines, the …show more content…
africanus greatly influenced their diet. While their limb proportions suggest a forsested environment, the evidence of bipedality in their skeletal features supports the idea of there being a savanna to thrive in as well. A. africanus is estimated to have existed in southern africa 3.2 to 2 million years ago (Price). During the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene times, the terrain in southern africa was increasingly dry and changing into a grass plain with few trees (deMenocal). A. africanus is a prime example of meeting that need as its skeleton shows how it was able branch away from climbing trees and thrive amongst the savanna plain, scouring over the fields for food or to avoid being …show more content…
africanus as the prime ancestor to modern humans, is the evidence implying the use of a human like thumb. A study from Kent university reveals A. africanus exhibiting “a clear palmar concentration of trabecular bone like that found in H. sapiens and Neandertals, which is consistent with forceful opposition of the thumb in precision gripping” (Skinner). The presence of human-like metacarpal hand bones and ligaments that suggest the ability of adding pressure means that these hominins were evolving away from the need to climb trees and towards the advantage of creating tools (Skinner). Furthermore, this indicates that a. Africanus, while having a small brain possessed both bipedality and the possibility to engage in tool usage before the evolution of a larger brain. Thus, A. africanus is a prime ancestor of modern humans in physical
In the greatest debate of anthropology lies the all consuming desire to know where we as humans come from. Who were our ancestors and what made them so different from us? It is debated if Australopithecus africanus or Australopithecus afarensis is the direct ancestor to the genus homo. Through critical evaluation of the features of the skeleton, diet and dentition, and use of bipedality, it is evident that A. africanus is a direct ancestor to modern humans while still possessing features from both modern humans and previous hominins. What makes A. africanus primarily more human-like than other australopithecines are its teeth and premolars. They had relatively large molars and premolars with shorter canines, the …show more content…
africanus greatly influenced their diet. While their limb proportions suggest a forsested environment, the evidence of bipedality in their skeletal features supports the idea of there being a savanna to thrive in as well. A. africanus is estimated to have existed in southern africa 3.2 to 2 million years ago (Price). During the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene times, the terrain in southern africa was increasingly dry and changing into a grass plain with few trees (deMenocal). A. africanus is a prime example of meeting that need as its skeleton shows how it was able branch away from climbing trees and thrive amongst the savanna plain, scouring over the fields for food or to avoid being …show more content…
africanus as the prime ancestor to modern humans, is the evidence implying the use of a human like thumb. A study from Kent university reveals A. africanus exhibiting “a clear palmar concentration of trabecular bone like that found in H. sapiens and Neandertals, which is consistent with forceful opposition of the thumb in precision gripping” (Skinner). The presence of human-like metacarpal hand bones and ligaments that suggest the ability of adding pressure means that these hominins were evolving away from the need to climb trees and towards the advantage of creating tools (Skinner). Furthermore, this indicates that a. Africanus, while having a small brain possessed both bipedality and the possibility to engage in tool usage before the evolution of a larger brain. Thus, A. africanus is a prime ancestor of modern humans in physical