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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 1: African Fossil a Real Find

A team of scientists from the United States and Ethiopia have uncovered the partial remains of an important link in the ancestral chain that produced homo sapiens. On Friday, March 11, scientists from Cleveland’s Museum of Natural History reported that the remains provided proof that man’s first walking ancestor roamed the Horn of Africa about 4 million years ago.

This ancestor, the skeleton of an ancient hominid, had been buried at a spot about 37 miles from the place where other scientists once found the skeleton of “Lucy.” “Lucy,” a half-skeleton that was discovered in 1974, contained slightly larger bones than those found in the most recently-discovered skeleton. “Lucy” has been judged to be about 3.2 million years old. Scientists point to the size difference as evidence that man’s ancestors grew larger over time.

Scientists examined the bones closely before declaring that the recently-discovered hominid had been able to walk upright. The fossilized bones included a partial thighbone, an incomplete pelvis, several ribs and vertebrae, a complete shoulder blade and, most importantly, the combination of a complete tibia and an ankle bone. That combination is proof that the hominid from which “Lucy” descended walked this earth on two feet and held itself in an upright position.

These bone fragments, all that remains of an ancient ancestor to those of us who are now members of the species called homo sapiens, will help scientists to fill-in the blanks in the story of mankind’s evolution.

--Written by Sue Chehrenegar

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