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Africa Feature: Landmark discovery of fossils in Kenya stirs debate
of linear evolution (3) |
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08:08, August 10, 2007 |
"The latest discovery attests the fact National Museums play a critical part of the history of the whole world," he Farah.
"We host within the National Museum unmatched, unique and diverse fossil collection that has rightfully earned Kenya the title the ''Cradle of Mankind''."
The Homo erectus was exceptionally well preserved, because it was entirely encased in sandstone when it was discovered by Dr. Manthi.
Human evolution over the last two million years is often portrayed as a linear succession of three species: Homo habilis to Home erectus and Homo sapiens (modern human).
Of these, Homo erectus is commonly seen as the first human ancestor who is like modern human in many respects, but with smaller brain.
"Prior to the discovery of the new specimens, scientists did not know that Homo erectus males were far larger than the females, " said Dr Emma Mbua, one of the scientists.
"These sexual dimorphisms are considered a primitive character because it occurs in other apes," she told a news conference in Nairobi.
Mbua said this could also mean the sexual behavior of Homo erectus was more like that of apes, where individuals, especially males, mate with several partners, sometimes in a few hours, than that of its more monogamous human successors.
"The new fossils are significant because both their relative geological ages and their physical attributes directly challenge these views about our human ancestry," he said.
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