Never mind the weakest link. On September 9, 2011, Professor Less Berger of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg was among those to comment on the exciting news: They might have found the missing link between homo sapiens (we humans) and the last-known variant, Homo habilis or Homo rudolfensis. "The Daily Mail" was among those reporting on the remarkable discovery, made in 2009 in a South African cave, Malapa -- about 30 miles northwest of Johannesburg; the news was published in the journal "Science."
The creature, that they're calling Australopithecus sediba, had a larger and more human-shaped brain than its known predecessors. It had strong, tree-climbing hands, but also a thumb and long finger that would allow it to make tools. It also walked upright, though not like we did (though, if you go to the average mall, you'd be forgiven for thinking "perhaps not so much." Australopithecus sediba lived 1.977 million years ago; dating was done by studying magnetic fields stored in the rocks around the skeleton.
Other signs that this might have been a transitional creature included human-like ankles but ape-like heel and shin bones. The new find trumps our previously known ancestors by a few hundred thousand years, says "The Daily Mail." The discovery included two skeletons, a juvenile -- about 10 to 13 years old -- and a female.
Prehistoric man -- call them cavemen or neanderthals or by their scientific names -- doesn't crop up too often in historical markers and landmarks, except where mentioned in general signs that cover a whole area. But if you look around, there are a few; a good place to look is Wisconsin.
If you're a hiker, check out the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin. The national long-distance trail interprets a landscape carved out by glaciers and can be tackled in stages. Wisconsin also has several state historical markers with titles such as “Prehistoric Sites” and “Prehistoric Petroglyphs.” Look around, and maybe one day we'll start seeing markers talking about Australopithecus sediba.
Previous article:
Next article:
Sources and further reading: The Telegraph; Ice Age National Scenic Trail; Markeroni.com
Be the first to read new articles on the Historic Landmarks column when you subscribe to this column or use the RSS feed. You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook.
Comments