According to foreign media reports, the fossils of early human ancestors discovered in the Sterkfontein Cave in South Africa are 3.4 to 3.6 million years old, which means that human ancestors appeared 1 million years earlier than previously guessed. The understanding of human origins and evolution has also been shaken.
It is reported that all cave sediments discovered this time, including the Australopithecus fossils, are 3.4 million to 3.6 million years old, which is more than one million years earlier than other ancient human fossils at nearby sites. The Lucy fossil previously discovered in Ethiopia was an Australopithecus afar species that lived 3.2 million years ago. However, these newly discovered fossils are older than the Lucy fossil. The new fossils also belong to the species Australopithecus, a species previously thought to be ancient humans that lived between 2 million and 2.6 million years ago, the study showed.
The researchers said: "It is difficult to determine the specific age of the fossils. We looked at animal fossils found nearby and compared the ages of cave features such as flowstones, and got a series of different dates. This shows that these fossils are very old. "Reassessing the age of the Australopithecus fossils has implications for our understanding of how early human ancestors diversified and evolved in South Africa," said study co-author Dominic Stratford. It is of great significance to play a role in the expansion.
It is understood that the Sterkfontein Cave where the latest fossils were found is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Cradle of Humankind", which contains a large number of fossils in 1936. Dr. Robert Bloom discovered the first adult Australopithecus fossil in the Sterkfontein Cave. Since then, hundreds of Australopithecus fossils have been found in the cave. The famous 3.67 million-year-old "Australopithecus" "Little Foot" fossils were also found here. "Sterkfontein has the largest collection of Australopithecus fossils in the world," said Darryl Granger, professor of Earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences in Purdue University's College of Science. ”
Jiupai News intern reporter Chen Mengting
[Source: Jiupai News]
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