Hominid activity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hominid activity - Research Paper Example farensis, the â€Å"Hadar Skull† and the "First Family," all discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia in 1974, 1992 and 1975 respectively and the Laetoli Footprints discovered in Tanzania by Mary Leakey in 1978. ‘Lucy’, the first A. afarensis find at Hadar, Ethiopia,  in 1974, dated at 3.2 million years old. The primary indicator of Lucy’s sex being female was the wide pelvic opening. Lucy had both ape and human features: the creature had apelike facial proportions that included a flat nose with a protruding/projected lower jaw suspending small canine teeth; had smaller braincase (approximately 1/3 in size to that of the modern man); had bipedal characteristics with divergent big toes such as those used by the modern apes. Additionally, Lucy had an upward-pointing shoulder joint and a hand with a powerful wrist and curved fingers (PBS, Riddle of the Bones: What did they look like?). With a near-complete set of fossilized backbones as well as an intact upper leg bone, the discovery revealed that Lucy was about three-and-a-half feet tall. The creature had scars of muscle attachment on her skeleton suggesting that Lucy was strongly built. It had both ape like and human fe atures that included long dangling arms. The above features indicate clearly that Lucy (A. afarensis) was an upright walking creature, but also lived on trees-evidenced by suspensory features of the dangling arm (the upward-pointing shoulder joint as well the divergent big toes). A sensational discovery at the time, the 75 long trail of crisp Laetoli footprints- discovered by Mary Leakey in 1978 was a great deal of breakthrough in resolving the debate surrounding the bipedal nature of the early hominids. The maker of the footprints lived approximately 3.6 million years ago walking across wet ashfall. According to the records from the Matriarch of fossil hunting Leakey family, the Laetoli Footprints were footsteps of at least two (possibly three individuals) with certain apelike characteristics: had a