新發(fā)現(xiàn)男性原始人部分骨骼,，生存年代距今約360萬年
科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)了或許是著名原始人“露西”不知多少代之前的祖先——“大個(gè)子”。這位男性原始人和“露西”一樣都能直立行走,，因此人類開始直立行走的時(shí)間也許比此前認(rèn)為的更早,。
這項(xiàng)研究成果6月21日發(fā)表在美國《國家科學(xué)院院刊》（PNAS）網(wǎng)絡(luò)版上。負(fù)責(zé)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)這項(xiàng)研究的美國克利夫蘭自然歷史博物館館長約翰尼斯·海爾－塞拉西在一份聲明中說,，“大個(gè)子”是雙足動(dòng)物,，具備像現(xiàn)代人那樣的行走能力,。
科學(xué)家在埃塞俄比亞阿法爾州發(fā)現(xiàn)這個(gè)男性原始人的部分骨骼,，其生存年代距今約360萬年,，比生活在這一地區(qū)的“露西”早約40萬年。其身高約1.5米,，而“露西”身高則不到1.1米,。科學(xué)家已將其命名為“Kadanuumuu”,，在阿法爾語中意為“大個(gè)子”,。
科學(xué)家指出，“大個(gè)子”與“露西”都屬于南方古猿阿法種,，能夠直立行走,。
海爾－塞拉西認(rèn)為，這項(xiàng)研究表明,，“露西”和她可能的祖先“大個(gè)子”幾乎與現(xiàn)代人一樣善于直立行走,，因此人類進(jìn)化過程中開始直立行走的時(shí)間可能比此前認(rèn)為的更早。
“露西”1974年由時(shí)任克利夫蘭自然歷史博物館館長唐納德·約翰遜等人領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的考古小組在埃塞俄比亞發(fā)現(xiàn),，被看做是尋找人類起源過程中里程碑式的發(fā)現(xiàn),。當(dāng)時(shí)為慶祝這一偉大發(fā)現(xiàn)而播放了甲殼蟲樂隊(duì)的一首《露西在綴滿鉆石的天空》，“露西”由此得名,。（生物谷Bioon.net）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1004527107
An early Australopithecus afarensis postcranium from Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia
Yohannes Haile-Selassiea,b,c,1, Bruce M. Latimera,b,c, Mulugeta Alened, Alan L. Deinoe, Luis Giberte, Stephanie M. Melillof, Beverly Z. Saylorg, Gary R. Scotte, and C. Owen Lovejoya,h,1
aThe Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH 44106;
bDepartment of Anthropology,
cThe Institute for the Science of Origins, and
gDepartment of Geological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106;
dDepartment of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1176;
e Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA 94709;
fDepartment of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; and
hDepartment of Anthropology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242
Only one partial skeleton that includes both forelimb and hindlimb elements has been reported for Australopithecus afarensis. The diminutive size of this specimen (A.L. 288-1 ["Lucy"]) has hampered our understanding of the paleobiology of this species absent the potential impact of allometry. Here we describe a large-bodied (i.e., well within the range of living Homo) specimen that, at 3.58 Ma, also substantially antedates A.L. 288–1. It provides fundamental evidence of limb proportions, thoracic form, and locomotor heritage in Australopithecus afarensis. Together, these characteristics further establish that bipedality in Australopithecus was highly evolved and that thoracic form differed substantially from that of either extant African ape.
