Fossil Evidence
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Lucy was the most complete, early human skeleton found in 1974 by Donald Johanson in Kenya. This human skeleton was given the name Lucy because the scientists were listening to the song “Lucy” when they found her. When she lived, she possessed long arm bones and the crest created by muscles that attach to her upper arm bone. This evidence proves she had a powerful chest and strong upper arm muscles necessary for tree climbing, similar to a chimpanzee. Also, she had a short and broad pelvis which proves that she was capable of walking on two legs. Her body had adapted to her environment. She was able to climb trees and walk upright to use the resources from the woodlands and grasslands.
All of our ancestors came from the family Hominidae or also known as Hominids. Altogether there are twenty species of hominids. The earlier species looked more similar to primates than Homo sapiens, the only species of the hominid family left. In the earlier days, many hominid species co-existed in the same time period. This shows that at some points in history there were more than one human species alive.
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The skull is a primary piece of evidence towards evolution of humans. The first fossil evidence from a human was a piece of a skull cap. The scientists who studied this fossil thought it to be a primate’s or barbarian’s skull. When they found more pieces of the skeleton, they realized that it was from a early Homo sapien. And now as we continue to find more and more fossil evidence, we know now the bone structure of the skull was different during different time periods. Because we evolved from chimps our brain capacity has grown through all of our hominid ancestors, therefore making our skull a different shape through those changes.
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The early human pelvis and thigh bones were very similar to todays modern humans. The pelvis shows us that the earlier humans were able to walk long distances. This was very important because of the fluctuating environments. The connection between the upper thigh and hip bones was longer in early humans than in chimps, and the base of the bone thicker. Thus, the hip muscles were able to effectively contract and provide support for walking upright.
“The Affiliate.” Smithsonian Affiliations. Ed. Jennifer Brudage. Ivey Doyal, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
“Fossil Evidence.” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Institute, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils>.
“Fossil Hominids, Human Evolution: Thomas Huxley & Eugene Dubois.” Understanding Evolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/history_17>.
The pelvis bones changed over time. Biology Stack Exchange. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
“What Does It Mean to Be Human?” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Institute, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/fossils/al-288-1>.
“Fossil Evidence.” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Institute, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils>.
“Fossil Hominids, Human Evolution: Thomas Huxley & Eugene Dubois.” Understanding Evolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/history_17>.
The pelvis bones changed over time. Biology Stack Exchange. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
“What Does It Mean to Be Human?” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Institute, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/fossils/al-288-1>.