Georgia fossil suggests key stage of human evolution was in Europe [not Africa]

The Times ^ | 9/9/2009 | Mark Henderson

[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

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"The PC crowd will not allow any notion that a primitive relative left Africa, then evolved into "the more upright, advanced species in Eurasia."

It just needs to be packaged correctly:

1. Some humans moved north.
2. They happened to start walking upright.
3. Being the imperialistic bastards that they were, they went down south to exploit and lord themselves over those who decided to stay south and low to the ground.

We need to give every African and African descendent a fire pit, a wheel, and a good set of spear points as compensation for this travesty of justice.

[spodefly]

He added that there were intriguing similarities between the Dmanisi fossils and the more recent hominins recently discovered at Flores in Indonesia — the diminutive species Homo floresiensis and nicknamed “hobbits”. “The possibility exists the primary dispersal gave rise to the Dmanisi fossils and the hobbits,” Professor Stringer said.

I would be willing to speculate that the hobbit population eventually evolved into the Gnomes, although I am sure Gnomes will balk at this idea.

[SunkenCiv]

:’) oooh... now I’ve got Tommy Bolin’s “Savannah Woman” running through my mind’s ear...