A total of 12 small fossils where found and were dated indirectly using soil context. The finds include fragments of arm and thighbones, lower jaws and teeth.
In April 2002 Martin Pickford and Brigette Semut found 12 small fossils in Tugen Hill, Kenya. The approximate age of these fossils is between 6.2 and 5.8 million years ago.
A total of 12 small fossils where found and were dated
indirectly using soil context. The finds include fragments of arm and thighbones,
lower jaws and teeth.
Analysis of the neck to acetabulo ratio of the femur (thigh bone) suggests
bipedalism. Small hand joints indicate this species was a good climber.
This species may have been both a tree climber and bipedal. Its teeth are
much smaller than apes and are more humanlike.
The archaeologists responsible for this find believe that may be a better link to Homo genus than Australopithicus because of its more humanlike morphology. They argue that evolution would not have regressed and become more the more apelike Australopithecines before evolving into Homo genus. They suggest Australopithecine was a “dead-end” evolution. However, more evidence is necessary to decide this issue.
LINKS:
Orrorin tugensis
Our Earliest Ancestor: O tugensis
Recent
Developments in Paleontology
PBS: Origins of Humankind