The Hindu : International : Fossil throws new light on human evolution

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Thursday, Apr 13, 2006

International

International

Fossil throws new light on human evolution

Finding of different fossils in one general area makes those snapshots more of a mini home movie of human evolution

WASHINGTON: The latest fossil unearthed from a human ancestral hot spot in Africa allows scientists to link together the most complete chain of human evolution so far.

The 4.2-million-year-old fossil discovered in north-eastern Ethiopia helps scientists fill in the gaps of how human ancestors made the giant leap from one species to another.

That's because the newest fossil, the species Australopithecus anamensis, was found in the region of the Middle Awash — where seven other human-like species spanning nearly 6 million years and three major phases of human development were previously discovered.

``We just found the chain of evolution, the continuity through time,'' study co-author and Ethiopian anthropologist Berhane Asfaw said in a phone interview from Addis Ababa. ``One form evolved to another. This is evidence of evolution in one place through time.''

The findings were reported in the scientific journal Nature.

The species anamensis is not new, but its location is what helps explain the shift from one early phase of human-like development to the next, scientists say. All eight species were within an easy day's walk of each other.

Until now, what scientists had were snapshots of human evolution scattered around the world.

Finding everything all in one general area makes those snapshots more of a mini home movie of evolution.

``It's like 12 frames of a movie, but a movie covering 6 million years,'' said study lead author Tim White. — AP

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