Coincidence?
Posted on 09/09/2009 9:20:25 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
A key stage in human evolution may have taken place on the fringes of Europe and not in Africa as has generally been thought, scientists said yesterday.
Fossils of an ancient human relative, or hominin, from Georgia dated from 1.8 million years ago suggest that the first of our ancestors to walk upright could have done so in Eurasia, the British Science Festival was told.
David Lordkipanidze, director of the Georgian National Museum, said the skulls, fossils and limb bones found at Dmanisi in 1999 and 2001 raise the possibility that Homo erectus, a forerunner of modern humans, evolved in Europe or Asia and later spread back to Africa. He also revealed that a fifth well-preserved skull, the most complete yet, had been discovered at the site.
The Dmanisi fossils, which have been identified either as Homo erectus or a new species, Homo georgicus, have already shown ancient hominins began to leave Africa at least 1.8 million years ago, pushing back the accepted date for the first exodus from the cradle of humanity by several hundred thousand years.
This leaves two possible scenarios for a critical phase in evolution, Professor Lordkipanidze said. Either Homo erectus could have evolved in Africa and then spread to Asia and even Europe, or a more primitive relative might have left Africa and evolved into the more upright, advanced species in Eurasia. “We all agree the first appearance of humans was in Africa but when they left and started global colonisation is a debatable issue,” Professor Lordkipanidze said.
“The prevailing view before Dmanisi was that they left about a million years ago, and had sophisticated tools and quite advanced anatomy and brain capacity. What we’re finding is different.
“The story begins in Georgia. It was always thought the Champions’ League of human evolution took place
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
That’s racist!
David Lordkipanidze? Homo Lordkipanidze sounds like a fossil.
You got that right! First, Wilson gives BO a “teachable moment” without the cold brews and now this. Not a good Wednesday for the racebaiters.
Ping?
But seriously, if civilization began in Africa then why did they never advance as fast as Europeans?
Coincidence?
Old maps. DNA has obliterated it.
I didn’t comprehend. DNA maps have actually verified this.
The origin of the human race changes about once every year. Someone else will find another fossil somewhere, and we will have another theory. It’s just like the origin of the universe. That view changes about once every five years. Today it’s dark matter; tomorrow it will be something else.
Europeans gold, Asians silver, Africans bronze
The more we know the more confusing it becomes. because the new evidence knocks so many theories into a cocked-hat.
The PC crowd will not allow any notion that a primitive relative left Africa, then evolved into "the more upright, advanced species in Eurasia." Can't have that.
Georgia Bulldogs rule.
Nope.
IndoEuropean languages spread from southern India towards the north and DNA confirmed that progression.
Also, the Black Sea didn’t exist 7,500 years ago. Instead there was a small body of water in that location named the Old Euxine Lake. The present Persian Gulf did not exist until about 8,000 years ago. Between 14,000 to 10,000 years ago it was mostly dry land. Sea levels 14,000 years ago were 400 feet lower than today and much evidence of human civilization world-wide probably was flooded over a period of 6,000 years. The remains of human habitation and activity is being found underwater off the coasts of England, India, and on the floor of the Black Sea.
With the continental shelves exposed as dry land then humans could migrate a lot more easily on the edges of land masses rather than across frozen interiors. There is accumulating evidence that southern India had thriving cities made of stone that are now under the sea, 30 to 34 kilometres from shore. Where Indonesia is now an archipelago of islands, 14,000 years ago it would have been a large land mass above sea level.
Think of all the archeological evidence that we cannot reach.
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