From whom did Australopithecus descend? Australopithecus: characteristics, anatomical features, evolution

Australopithecus
Australopithecus R. A. Dart, 1925

Kinds

• †Australopithecus anamensis
• †Australopithecus afarensis
• †Australopithecus africanus
• † Australopithecus bahr el-ghazal
• †Australopithecus gari
• †Australopithecus sediba

Locations of finds Geochronology

	million years	era	P-d	Era
			Thu	TO A th n O h O th
	2,588
	5,33	Pliocene	N e O G e n
	23,03	Miocene
	33,9	Oligocene	P A l e O G e n
	55,8	Eocene
	65,5	Paleocene
	251	Mesozoic

◄ Our time ◄ Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction

Australopithecus(from Latin australis - southern and other Greek πίθηκος - monkey) - a genus of fossil higher primates, the bones of which were first discovered in the Kalahari Desert (South Africa) in 1924, and then in Eastern and Central Africa. They are the ancestors of the Human race.

• 1 Origin, biology and behavior
• 2 Anatomy
• 3 Development of forms within the genus
• 4 Known forms
• 5 Place in hominid evolution
• 6 See also
• 7 Notes
• 8 Links

Origin, biology and behavior

Side view of the skull
1. Gorilla 2. Australopithecus 3. Homo erectus 4. Neanderthal (La Chapelle-aux-Saints) 5. Steinheim man 6. Modern man

Australopithecines lived during the Pliocene from about 4 million years ago until less than a million years ago. On the time scale, 3 long eras of the main species are clearly visible, approximately a million years per species. Most Australopithecus species were omnivores, but there were subspecies that specialized in plant foods. The ancestor of the main species was most likely the species anamensis, and the first main species known at the moment was the species afarensis, which existed for approximately 1 million years. Apparently, these creatures were nothing more than monkeys, walking humanly on two legs, although hunched over. Perhaps in the end they knew how to use available stones to crack, for example, nuts. It is believed that afarensis eventually split into two subspecies: the first branch went towards humanization and Homo habilis, the second continued to improve in australopithecus, forming the new kind africanus. Africanus had slightly less developed limbs than afarensis, but they learned to use available stones, sticks and sharp bone fragments and, in turn, another million years later formed two new higher and last known subspecies of Australopithecus boisei and robustus, which existed up to 900 thousand years BC. e. and could already independently make the simplest bone and wooden tools. Despite this, most australopithecines were part of the food chain of more progressive people, who overtook them in development along other branches of evolution, and with whom they overlapped in time, although the duration of coexistence indicates that there were also periods of peaceful coexistence.

In terms of taxonomy, Australopithecus is classified as a member of the family Hominidae (which also includes humans and modern great apes). The question of whether any australopithecines were the ancestors of humans, or whether they represent a “sister group” to humans, is not fully understood.

Anatomy

Skull of a female Australopithecus africanus

Brings Australopithecus closer to humans poor development jaws, absence of large protruding fangs, grasping hand with developed thumb, supporting foot and pelvic structure adapted for upright walking. The brain is relatively large (530 cm³), but in structure it differs little from the brain of modern apes. In volume, it was no more than 35% of the average size of the modern human brain. The body size was also small, no more than 120-140 cm in height, with a slender build. It is assumed that the difference in size between male and female Australopithecines was greater than that of modern hominids. For example, at modern people men are on average only 15% larger than women, while in Australopithecines they could be 50% taller and heavier, which gives rise to discussions about the fundamental possibility of such strong sexual dimorphism in this genus of hominids. One of the main characteristic features for Paranthropus there is a bony arrow-shaped crest on the skull, characteristic of males of modern gorillas, therefore it cannot be completely excluded that the robust/paranthropic forms of Australopithecus are males, and the gracile forms are females; an alternative explanation may be the attribution of forms of different sizes to different types or subspecies.

Development of forms within the genus

The main candidate for the ancestor of australopithecines is the genus Ardipithecus. Moreover, the most ancient of the representatives of the new genus, Australopithecus anamensis, descended directly from Ardipithecus ramidus 4.4-4.1 million years ago, and 3.6 million years ago gave rise to Australopithecus afarensis, to which the famous Lucy belongs. With the discovery in 1985 of the so-called “black skull”, which was very similar to Paranthropus boisei, with a characteristic bone crest, but was 2.5 million older, official uncertainty appeared in the pedigree of Australopithecus, since although the test results may vary greatly depending on many circumstances and the environment where the skull was located, and, as usual, will be rechecked dozens of times for decades to come, but at the moment it turns out that Paranthropus boisei could not have descended from Australopithecus africanus, since it lived before them, and at least lived at the same time with Australopithecus afarensis, and, accordingly, also could not have descended from them, unless, of course, we do not take into account the hypothesis that the paranthropic forms of Australopithecus and Australopithecus are males and females of the same species.

Known forms

• Australopithecus afarensis (Australopithecus afarensis)
• Australopithecus africanus
• Australopithecus sediba
• Australopithecus prometheus

Previously, three more representatives were included in the genus Australopithecus, but nowadays they are usually classified as a special genus of Paranthropus.

• Ethiopian paranthropus (Paranthropus aethiopicus)
• Zinjanthropus boisei, now Paranthropus boisei
• Robustus (Australopithecus robustus, now Paranthropus robustus)

Place in hominid evolution

Reconstruction of a female Australopithecus afarensis

The genus Australopithecus is considered the ancestor of at least two groups of hominids: Paranthropus and humans. Although Australopithecines differed little from monkeys in terms of intelligence, they were upright, while most monkeys are quadrupeds. Thus, upright walking preceded the development of intelligence in humans, and not vice versa, as previously assumed.

How Australopithecines transitioned to upright walking is not yet clear. Reasons considered include the need to grasp objects such as food and young with the front paws, and to scan the surrounding area over tall grass for food or to spot danger. It is also suggested that common ancestors Upright walking hominids (including humans and australopithecines) lived in shallow waters and fed on small aquatic inhabitants, and upright walking evolved as an adaptation to movement in shallow waters. This version is supported by a number of anatomical, physiological and ethological features, in particular the ability of people to voluntarily hold their breath, which not all swimming animals are capable of.

According to genetic data, signs of upright walking appeared in some extinct species of monkeys about 6 million years ago, during the era of divergence between humans and chimpanzees. This means that not only the Australopithecines themselves, but also the species that was their ancestor, for example, Ardipithecus, could already be upright. Perhaps upright walking was an element of adaptation to life in the trees. Modern orangutans use all four legs to move only along thick branches, while they either cling to thinner branches from below or walk along them. hind legs, preparing the front ones to cling to other higher branches or balancing for stability. This tactic allows them to approach fruits located far from the trunk, or jump from one tree to another. Climate changes that occurred 11-12 million years ago led to a reduction forest areas in Africa and the emergence of large open spaces, which could have pushed the ancestors of Australopithecines to the transition to upright walking on the ground. In contrast, the ancestors of modern chimpanzees and gorillas specialized in climbing vertical trunks and vines, which is responsible for their bow-legged and clubbed gait on the ground. However, humans have inherited many similarities to these apes, including the structure of hand bones, which are reinforced for knuckle-supported walking.

It is also possible that Australopithecines were not the direct ancestors of humans, but represented a dead-end branch of evolution. Such conclusions are prompted, in particular, by recent discoveries of Sahelanthropus, an even more ancient ape that was more similar to Homo erectus than Australopithecus. In 2008, a new species of australopithecine, A. sediba, was discovered, which lived in Africa less than two million years ago. Although for some morphological characteristics it is closer to people than the more ancient species of australopithecines, which gave grounds for its discoverers to declare it a transitional form from australopithecines to humans; at the same time, apparently, the first representatives of the genus Homo, such as Rudolf man, already existed with it, which excludes the possibility that that this species of australopithecus could be the ancestor of modern humans.

Most species of australopithecus used tools no more than modern apes. Chimpanzees and gorillas are known to be able to crack nuts with stones, use sticks to extract termites, and use clubs for hunting. How often Australopithecines hunted is a controversial issue, as their fossil remains are rarely associated with the remains of killed animals.

see also

• Anoyapithecus
• Gryphopithecus
• Sivapithecus
• Nakalipithecus
• Afropithecus
• Dryopithecus
• Morotopithecus
• Kenyapithecus
• Oreopithecus

Notes

1. Australopithecus gracile
2. 1 2 Antonov, Egor. Australopithecines are measured by age: Littlefoot turned out to be older than Lucy A new “space” technique dates the remains of Littlefoot to about 3.67 million years ago. “Science and Life” (April 13, 2015). Retrieved April 14, 2015.
3. Beck Roger B. World History: Patterns of Interaction. - Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell. - ISBN 0-395-87274-X.
4. BBC - Science & Nature - The evolution of man. Mother of man - 3.2 million years ago. Retrieved November 1, 2007. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012.
5. Thorpe S.K.S.; Holder R.L., and Crompton R.H. PREMOG - Supplementary Info. Origin of Human Bipedalism As an Adaptation for Locomotion on Flexible Branches (inaccessible link - history). Primate Evolution & Morphology Group (PREMOG), the Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology, the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Liverpool (24 May 2007). Retrieved November 1, 2007. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007.
6. New human-like species unveiled

Links

• Australopithecines on the Evolution of Man website
• Australopithecus on the portal Anthropogenesis.ru
• South Africa has finally found the missing link

Anthropogenesis and paleoanthropology
Extinct genera Hominini/Hominina	Sahelanthropus Orrorin Ardipithecus Kenyanthropus (Anamese · Afar · Bahr el Ghazalian · African · Gari · Sediba) Paranthropus (Ethiopian · Boisa · robustus)
People (genus Homo)	H. gautengensis Ch. skilli Ch. rudolphian Ch. Georgian Ch. working Ch. erectus (Pithecanthropus · Sinanthropus · Javantropus) H. cepranensis H. helmei Ch. predecessor of Heidelberg Ch. Neanderthal Denisovsky Ch. floresian H. sapiens (Idaltu · Cro-Magnon · Homo sapiens sapiens)
Hominid finds	Azykhanthrop Rhodesian man Atlantrop Boy from Turkana Olduvai Sterkfontein Caves Saint-Césaire Skhodnensky skull Teshik-Tash Treintje Tumai Laetoli Koobi-Fora Lucy Steinheim man Yuanmou man meganthrope
Origin	Main hypotheses: Monocentrism African marginal: Extratropical Dicentrism Multiregional (polycentrism) Najapithecus Homo pampeanus
Spreading	Archaeogenetics Cradle of Humankind Paleoindians Coastal Migration Theories

Australopithecus

Australopithecus Information About

The remains of one of the most ancient hominids were found in the desert lands of northern Chad, near the southern edge of the Sahara. An excellently preserved skull, dating back to 6-7 million years ago, was found in 2001 in a place called Toros Menella, in the Durab Desert. The facial part of the skull combines both very primitive and relatively advanced features (in particular, rather weak fangs), and its teeth are noticeably different from other finds. The size of the brain is very small (~ 350 cm3), and the skull is elongated, which is more typical for monkeys. Such a mosaic of characters indicates the earliest stages of the group’s evolution. In addition to the skull, fragments of the remains of five more individuals were found. In July 2002, an international team of 38 scientists described them as a new genus and species of hominid, Sahelantrophus tchadensis. An analysis of the fossils collected together with Sahelanthropus suggests that there was once the shore of a large lake, around which lay a savannah, turning into a sandy desert.

About possible family ties S. tchadensis with other hominids and its place on the phylogenetic tree is still premature to say, but one thing is certain: after this find it became clear that the most ancient hominids were distributed much more widely in Africa than could have been assumed just recently. Almost all previous African finds were confined to the Rift Valley in the Eastern and South Africa.

Sahelanthropus apparently walked on two legs.

Another ancient bipedal hominid was discovered on October 25, 2000 during excavations in Kenya near the Great Rift Valley. The remains of the creature, nicknamed the Millennium Man but officially named Orrorin tugenensis, consisted of the bones of at least five individuals and were located in the rocks, whose age exceeds 6 million years. This species is similar in size to modern chimpanzees. Judging by the skeletal remains, it can be assumed that he nimbly climbed trees, and also moved on the ground on his lower limbs. The structure of the teeth suggests that the species ate a plant diet typical of apes, but the smaller incisors and large molars indicate evolutionary trends consistent with human evolution.

In 1997-2000 In the Awash Valley in Ethiopia, remains of Ardipithecus from Miocene times (5.2-5.8 million years ago) were found. The bones were first described as a new subspecies of Ardipithecus ramidus kadabba, and later new finds were described, based on which this form was given the status of an independent species.

A jaw with teeth, several fragments of arm and leg bones, and one toe, the structure of which indicates bipedal walking, were found. Later, several more teeth were found. This species lived in the forest, not in the savanna.

In December 1992, a primitive form was discovered in Ethiopia. A study of this primitive species, named Ardipithecus ramidus, found it to be 4.4 million years old; in all respects he had a significant resemblance to a chimpanzee, but also possessed some human-likeness, for example, a relatively short base of the skull and fangs of the same shape as those of hominids. The teeth of Ardipithecus, although they have more similarities with humans than the teeth of chimpanzees, are still in basically remained ape. It is possible that soft leaves and fiber-rich fruits were absent from the Ardipithecus menu. What was unexpected was that A.ramidus was a forest dweller. This is surprising, since it is believed that the human ancestor lived in areas of open savanna, and it was the conditions of open savanna that became an important, if not the key, factor in development during evolution vertical position bodies, i.e. walking on two legs. Whether A.ramidus was bipedal remains unknown.

Finds from two localities in Kenya - Kanapoi and Allia Bay - were named Australopithecus anamensis. They date back to 4 million years ago

Their height was not much more than one meter. The brain size was the same as that of a chimpanzee. Early australopithecines lived in wooded or even swampy places, as well as in forest-steppes. The bone structure of its legs suggests that this australopithecus was bipedal, but the structure of its teeth and jaws is very similar to later fossil apes. Based on some dental characteristics, this species is intermediate between Ardipithecus ramidus and Australopithecus afarensis. The authors of the find are convinced that this species was the ancestor of A.afarensis. Australopithecus anamensis lived in dry forests. Obviously, it is these creatures that are most suitable for the role of the notorious “intermediate link” between ape and man. We know practically nothing about their way of life, but every year the number of finds is growing, and knowledge about environment of that distant time are expanding.

Not much is known about early australopithecines. Judging by the skull of Sahelanthropus, the femurs of Orrorin, fragments of the skull, limb bones and the remains of the pelvis of Ardipithecus, early australopithecines were already upright primates. However, judging by the hand bones of Orrorin and Australopithecus anamensis, they retained the ability to climb trees or were even quadrupedal creatures that rested on the phalanges of their fingers, like modern chimpanzees and gorillas. The dental structure of early australopithecines is intermediate between apes and humans. It is even possible that Sahelanthropus were relatives of gorillas, Ardipithecus - the immediate ancestors of modern chimpanzees, and Australopithecus anamensis died out without leaving descendants.

Distinguishing the subfamily Australopithecinae in the family Hominidae, he was the first to divide Australopithecus into two genera - Australopithecus proper (gracile) and Paranthropus (massive), Professor J.T. Robinson. The most convincing evidence of the need for such a division was presented in a number of articles by A.A. Zubov when considering the structural features of the dental system. An analysis of the findings made by the International Afar Expedition in Hadar allowed D. Johanson and T. White to generalize two types of nutrition and two corresponding variants of the dental system to all those found on African continent groups of Australopithecus Currently, both mentioned genera are classified as one Australopithecus, dividing it into two groups of species - gracile and massive.

Gracile australopithecines were upright walking creatures. Their gait was somewhat different from the gait of a person. Apparently, Australopithecus walked in shorter steps, and hip joint When walking, he did not fully straighten. Along with the fairly modern structure of the legs and pelvis, the arms of Australopithecus were somewhat elongated, and the fingers were adapted for climbing trees, but these features can only be an inheritance from ancient ancestors. During the day, Australopithecines roamed the savannah or forests, along the banks of rivers and lakes, and in the evening they climbed trees, as modern chimpanzees do. Australopithecines lived in small herds or families and were capable of moving quite long distances. They ate mainly plant foods, and usually did not make tools, although scientists found stone tools and antelope bones crushed by them not far from the bones of Australopithecus gari. Like the early representatives of the genus, gracile Australopithecines had an ape-like skull, combined with an almost modern rest of the skeleton. The omnivorous nature of the gracile form of Australopithecus is expressed by alveolar prognathism ( different shape lower and upper arches with some protrusion of the latter), which provides a “biting” function - psalidonty. In some species, an enlargement of the canine and supraorbital ridge is observed, indicating a significant proportion of meat food in the diet. The Australopithecus brain was similar to that of apes in both size and shape. However, the ratio of brain mass to body mass in these primates was intermediate between that of a small ape and that of a very large human.

Australopithecus is the name of the great apes that moved with two legs. Most often, Australopithecus is considered to be one of the subfamilies of the family called hominids. The first find was the skull of a 4-year-old cub found in South Africa. To talk more about these representatives Ancient world, you need to study the lifestyle of australopithecines.

http://autoprofispb.ru/

Where did Australopithecus live?

Scientists believe that the way of life of Australopithecus differed in many ways from the peculiarities of existence modern primates. Australopithecines lived in savannahs and tropical forests, and ate mainly a variety of plants. If we talk about later australopithecines, they hunted antelopes. Another option for finding food, common among such representatives of the Ancient World, was taking it away from hyenas and lions (other large predators living nearby).

Many people are interested in the question: where did Australopithecus live? It is worth noting that the early representatives of these primates lived mainly in forests various kinds. There were also gracile Australopithecines of Africa, which could be seen in a wide variety of places - from wet forests to dry open-plan savannas.

The rather massive South African Australopithecus also lived in a variety of natural environments. Scientists suggest that these primates lived in places that were closer to water, although there are completely opposite points of view. Scientists agree on one thing: Australopithecines are primates that tried to stick to open areas, for example, savannas.

http://biznes-sekrret.ru/

What is the lifestyle of Australopithecus?

It is worth noting that the highest great apes lived in their own small groups. As a rule, several individuals could be seen in each group. Scientists suggest that Australopithecines led a nomadic lifestyle, as they were constantly looking for food. These individuals probably used special tools to search for food, but they most likely did not know how to make them themselves.

The primates' hands resembled those of humans, although the fingers were different in many ways: they were narrower, but also more curved. It is worth noting that the oldest tools were known from layers in Ethiopia that date back to 2.7 million years ago. This means that 4 million years have passed since the appearance of Australopithecus. If we talk about South Africa, here Australopithecus about 1.5 million years ago used special bone fragments to catch insects from termite mounds.

Important information that relates to the topic “Australopithecus lived” is the question of the remains of primates. So, the remains of the most ancient primates (early australopithecines) were found in Toros Menalla (Republic of Chad). The skull that scientists managed to put together was named Tumay. These finds are about 7 million years old.

The Australopithecus base site is a fairly important part of their life, since it was a place of fairly long habitation, albeit temporary. Such long stops are most likely justified by the period of lack of independence of the youngest members of the team. It is known that Australopithecines became dependent on adults, and especially on their mothers. Such dependence is in many ways similar to human relationships, and the time frame was approximately the same. Scientists made this conclusion based on the timing of teething in these primates.

http://chinatourr.ru/

Video: Evolution: the life of Australopithecus

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In 1859 Charles Darwin in his book On the Origin of Species natural selection, or Preservation of Selected Breeds in the Struggle for Life” cautiously suggested that man is the last stage in the evolution of the animal world. Main driving forces evolution were called variability, heredity and selection. From everything it followed that man comes from a lower form.

This theory caused a lot of controversy, and over the next 50-60 years there was an active search for fossil human ancestors, which confirmed Darwin's theory. As a result of analyzing paleontological discoveries, scientists presented an approximate picture of human evolution.

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Australopithecus(“Australo” means southern, and “pithecus” means monkey) are the first anthropoid creatures that evolved from monkeys about 2 million years ago during the Stone Age. Australopithecines were small in stature (about a meter), moved in an upright position, and had a brain volume of about 500–600 cm 3 . But the life expectancy of Australopithecus rarely reached 20 years.

The next step in human evolutionary development is Pithecanthropus, existed in the Middle Paleolithic era (600-100 thousand years ago). The height of Pithecanthropus had already reached 165-170 cm, it moved in the same way as modern man, bending your knees slightly. The volume of the Pithecanthropus brain increased by 300 cm 3 and reached 900 cm 3. Pithecanthropus made tools from stone and used them for their intended purpose.

In the Neanderthal Valley near Düsseldorf, the remains of ancient people were found, allowing us to draw conclusions about the transition of man to the next level of evolution. Neanderthal(got its name from the place of discovery - the Neanderthal Valley) existed in glacial period(60–28 thousand years BC). The volume of his brain ranged from 1200 to 1600, but despite the fact that the size of the Neanderthal brain was not inferior to the size of the brain of a modern person, the structure of the Neanderthal thinking apparatus remained imperfect.

Neanderthals they set up their homes in caves, mastered such tools as a spear, scraper, etc., and designed a bow, which made the hunting process easier. They skillfully used a needle: they sewed clothes for themselves.

When did modern man, just like you and me, appear?

Archaeological finds suggest that modern man appeared 25–28 thousand years ago. This species coexisted with Neanderthals, but for a long time the new species Homo sapiens in replaced the old one. Homo sapiens was distinguished by the developed frontal lobes of the brain, which indicate the occurrence of higher thought processes and the development of higher associative thinking. Imaginative thinking helped “Homo sapiens” to diversify his work activity, which led to an improvement in the structure of the body. "Homo sapiens" was tall with a straight line slim figure, had coherent speech and perfect thought processes.

Homo sapiens depending on place of residence had external differences. Natural conditions influenced the formation of appearance. People were divided into three main races: white (Caucasoid), black (Negroid) and yellow (Mongoloid). There are physiological differences between races, but they are not significant, because all modern humanity belongs to the same subspecies of the species Homo sapiens.

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Australopithecus was a genus belonging to the family Hominidae. They can be described both as bipedal monkeys and as humans with the characteristics of monkeys. In other words, their structure included features characteristic of modern apes and humans. These ancient primates lived approximately 6-1 million years ago. The earliest remains found in the Republic of Chad date back to 6 million years ago. And the latest ones, discovered in South Africa, date back to 900 thousand years old. This shows that these ancient hominids lived on Earth for a huge period of time.

The habitat was extremely large. This is practically all of Central and Southern Africa, as well as certain areas North Africa. The bulk of australopithecines were concentrated in the east and south of the continent. In the north, there are much fewer discovered remains, but this may only indicate relatively poor knowledge of this region, and not on the actual dispersal of these fossil primates. Taking into account the huge time interval, we can talk about dramatic changes natural conditions, which contributed to the emergence of completely new species, unlike the old ones.

Currently, these ancient primates are divided into 3 groups, which successively changed each other. Moreover, each group is divided into several types.

Australopithecus anamensis or early Australopithecus. Lived 6-4 million years ago. His first remains were found in Kenya in 1965.

Australopithecus afarensis lived 4-2.5 million years ago. In 1974, a French expedition found the skeleton of a female specimen in Ethiopia. She was given the name Lucy. She lived 3.2 million years ago and died at the age of 25 or 30 years.

Australopithecus sediba lived 2.5-1 million years ago. These primates were distinguished by their massive forms and well-developed jaws. Initially, 2 skeletons were discovered in Malapa Cave in South Africa. This is a teenager and a female. A total of 130 fragments of these skeletons were found. The word "sediba" from the language of the Basotho people is translated as "well".

Australopithecus lived in tribal groups

Structural features of Australopithecus

The hominids in question were characterized by a low and wide pelvis, relatively long legs and relatively short arms. The feet did not have grasping functions; only the hands had them. The spine was vertical. That is, we can talk about a similar structure to a person. At the same time, the height was small and varied from 120 to 150 cm with a slender build and weight of 30-55 kg.

The sizes of females and males differed significantly. The stronger sex was almost 50% larger than the weaker sex. In humans, this difference is no more than 15%. The brain volume was 400-550 cubic meters. cm. In humans, the corresponding value is 1200-1500 cubic meters. cm. As for the structure of gray matter, it corresponded to the structure of chimpanzees.

At a late stage of its development, Australopithecus hunted ungulates

Behavioral Traits

Australopithecus lived in savannas and tropical forests near lakes and rivers. At the same time, it cannot be argued that the most ancient primates ignored territories remote from large bodies of water. It’s just that their remains are best preserved in such places. The diet mainly consisted of plant food. In later times, hunting of ungulates was practiced.

These ancient ancestors people existed in groups and led a nomadic lifestyle, moving across the hot continent in search of food. It is difficult to say whether they made perfect tools or not. Their hands resembled those of humans, but the fingers were narrower and more curved. It is known that in South Africa 1.5 million years ago bone fragments were used to catch termites that lived in termite mounds. However, modern monkeys also use stones and bones to obtain food.

Australopithecus head in the museum

Were Australopithecines the direct ancestors of humans?

When talking about Australopithecus, we can assume that they were the direct ancestors of modern people, based on the fact that a person is less different from a fossil hominid than a gorilla or chimpanzee. Here you can take as a basis the structure of the jaws, hands, feet, as well as upright walking, which largely contributed to the development of intelligence.

Here you should know that the first signs of upright walking appeared 6 million years ago in extinct species of monkeys. That is, it was the era when the radical formation of the very first ancestors of modern people began. In those days, many open spaces appeared in Africa, which began to be developed by monkeys. And outside the trees it is much more efficient to move not on 4, but on 2 limbs.

At the same time, it can be assumed that Australopithecines were not the direct ancestors of humans at all, but represented only a dead-end branch of evolutionary development. This assumption can neither be confirmed nor refuted, since science has not yet collected enough data on these and other ancient fossil hominids.

Alexey Starikov