| Homo habilis Fossil range: Pliocene-Pleistocene |
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| †Homo habilis Leakey et al, 1964 |
Homo habilis (pronounced /ˈhoʊmoʊ ˈhæbəlɪs/) ("handy man", "skillful person") is a species of the genus Homo, which lived from approximately 2. Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey ( LSB Leakey) ( August 7, 1903 – October 1 1972) was a Kenyan archaeologist and naturalist In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Homo is the Genus that includes modern humans and their close relatives 2 million to at least 1. 6 million years ago at the beginning of the Pleistocene. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period [1] The definition of this species is credited to both Mary and Louis Leakey, who found fossils in Tanzania, East Africa, between 1962 and 1964. Mary Leakey ( February 6 1913 &ndash December 9 1996) was a British Archaeologist and Anthropologist, who Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey ( LSB Leakey) ( August 7, 1903 – October 1 1972) was a Kenyan archaeologist and naturalist FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. [2] Homo habilis is arguably the first species of the Homo genus to appear. In its appearance and morphology, H. The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism habilis was the least similar to modern humans of all species to be placed in the genus Homo (except possibly Homo rudolfensis). Homo rudolfensis is a Fossil Hominin Species discovered by Bernard Ngeneo, a member of a team led by anthropologist Richard Homo habilis was short and had disproportionately long arms compared to modern humans; however, it had a reduction in the protrusion in the face. It is thought to have descended from a species of australopithecine hominid. The term australopithecine refers to two very closely related genera within the Hominina subtribe of the Hominini tribe. Its immediate ancestor may have been the more massive and ape-like Homo rudolfensis. Homo habilis had a cranial capacity slightly less than half of the size of modern humans. Cranial capacity is a measure of the volume of the interior of the Cranium (also called the braincase or brainpan of those Vertebrates who have both a cranium and Despite the ape-like morphology of the bodies, H. habilis remains are often accompanied by primitive stone tools (e. g. Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania and Lake Turkana, Kenya). The Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge is commonly referred to as "The Cradle of Mankind Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya Lake Turkana (tər-kăn'ə tʊr-kä'nə formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a Lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, with its far northern The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south
Homo habilis has often been thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated Homo ergaster, which in turn gave rise to the more human-appearing species, Homo erectus. Homo ergaster ("working man" is an extinct Hominid Species (or subspecies according to some authorities which lived throughout eastern Homo erectus ( Latin: "upright man" is an extinct species of the genus Homo, believed to have been the first hominin Debates continue over whether H. habilis is a direct human ancestor, and whether all of the known fossils are properly attributed to the species. However, in 2007, new findings suggest that the two species coexisted and may be separate lineages from a common ancestor instead of H. erectus being descended from H. habilis. [3]
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Findings
One set of fossil remains (OH 62), discovered by Donald Johanson and Tim White in Olduvai Gorge in 1986, included the important upper and lower limbs. Donald Carl Johanson (born June 28, 1943 in Chicago) is an American paleoanthropologist. Tim White (born August 24 1950 in Los Angeles California is an American Paleoanthropologist and Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California Berkeley An older (1963) finding from the Olduvai site found by N. Mbuika had included a lower jaw fragment, teeth and upper mandible possibly from a female dating 1. 7 million years old. The remains from 3 skeletons stacked on top of each other[4] demonstrated australopithecine-like body with a more human-like face and smaller teeth. Compared to australopithecines, H. The term australopithecine refers to two very closely related genera within the Hominina subtribe of the Hominini tribe. habilis's brain capacity of 590 and 650 cm³ was on average 50% larger than australopithecines, but considerably smaller than the 1350 to 1450 cm³ range of modern Homo sapiens. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus These hominins were smaller than modern humans, on average standing no more than 1. 3 m (4 ft 3 in) tall.
The small size and rather primitive attributes have led some experts (Richard Leakey among them) to propose excluding H. habilis from the genus Homo, and renaming as "Australopithecus habilis".
KNM ER 1813
KNM ER 1813 is a relatively complete cranium which dates 1. KNM ER 1813 is a Fossilized skull of the Species Homo habilis. 9 million years old, discovered at Koobi Fora, Kenya by Kamoya Kimeu in 1973. Koobi Fora refers primarily to a region around Koobi Fora Ridge, located on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana in the territory of the nomadic Gabbra tribe Kamoya Kimeu, (born c 1940 is one of the world's most successful fossil collectors who together with paleontologists Meave Leakey and Richard Leakey, The brain capacity is 510 cm³, not as impressive as other early specimen and forms of Homo habilis discovered.
OH 7
OH 7 dates 1. OH 7 ("Olduvai Hominid № 7" is the type specimen of Homo habilis. 75 million years old and was discovered by Jonathan Leakey on November 4, 1960 at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. It is a lower jaw complete with teeth and due to the size of the small teeth; researchers estimate this individual had a brain volume of 363 cm³. Also found were more than 20 fragments of the left hand. Tobias and Napier assisted in classifying OH-7 as the type fossil.
OH 24
OH 24 (AKA Twiggy) is a roughly deformed cranium dating 1. OH 24 (nicknamed "Twiggy" is a fossilized skull of the species Homo habilis. 8 million years old discovered in October 1968 at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania by Peter Nzube. The brain volume is just under 600 cm³; also a reduction in a protruding face is present compared to members of more primitive Australopithecines. Twiggy was found in a distorted matrix with a coating of limestone rock.
KNM ER 1805
KNM ER 1805 is a specimen of an adult H. KNM ER 1805 is several pieces of a fossilized skull of the species Homo habilis. habilis made of 3 pieces of cranium dating 1. 74 million years old from Koobi Fora, Kenya. Previous assumptions were that this specimen belongs to H. erectus based on the degree of prognathism and overall cranial shape. Prognathism is a term used to describe the positional relationship of the Mandible and/or Maxilla to the skeletal base where either of the jaws protrudes
Interpretations
Homo habilis is thought to have mastered the Olduwan era (Early Paleolithic) tool case which utilized stone flakes. Oldowan (earlier spelled Olduwan or sometimes Oldawan) is an anthropological designation for an industrial complex of Stone tools used by A broader definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other These stone flakes were more advanced than any tools previously used, and gave H. habilis the edge it needed to prosper in hostile environments previously too formidable for primates. A primate is a member of the biological order Primates ( Latin: "prime first rank" the group that contains Lemurs the Aye-aye Whether H. habilis was the first hominin to master stone tool technology remains controversial, as Australopithecus garhi, dated to 2. Australopithecus garhi is a Gracile australopithecine species whose fossils were discovered in 1996 by a research team led by Ethiopian 6 million years ago, has been found along with stone tool implements at least 100,000 - 200,000 years older than H. habilis.
Most experts assume the intelligence and social organization of H. habilis were more sophisticated than typical australopithecines or chimpanzees. Chimpanzee (often shortened to chimp) is the common name for the two extant Species of Apes in the Genus Pan. Yet despite tool usage, H. habilis was not the master hunter that its sister species (or descendants) proved to be, as there is ample fossil evidence that H. habilis was a staple in the diet of large predatory animals such as Dinofelis, a large scimitar-toothed predatory cat the size of a jaguar. Dinofelis ("terrible cat" is a genus of Saber-toothed cats belonging to the tribe Metailurini. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. The jaguar (Panthera onca,, or—especially in British English — is a New World Mammal of the Felidae family and one of [5] H. habilis used tools primarily for scavenging, such as cleaving meat off of carrion, rather than defense or hunting. Homo habilis is thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated Homo ergaster, which in turn gave rise to the more human-appearing species Homo erectus. Homo ergaster ("working man" is an extinct Hominid Species (or subspecies according to some authorities which lived throughout eastern Debates continue over whether H. habilis is a direct human ancestor, and whether all of the known fossils are properly attributed to the species.
Homo habilis co-existed with other Homo-like bipedal primates, such as Paranthropus boisei, some of which prospered for many millennia. Paranthropus boisei (originally called Zinjanthropus boisei and then Australopithecus boisei until recently was an early However, H. habilis, possibly because of its early tool innovation and a less specialized diet, became the precursor of an entire line of new species, whereas Paranthropus boisei and its robust relatives disappeared from the fossil record. The robust australopithecines, members of the Extinct Hominin genus Paranthropus (Greek para "beside" Greek anthropos "human" Homo habilis may also have coexisted with Homo erectus in Africa for a period of 500,000 years. [6]
The classification of H. habilis into the Homo genus is controversial. Like Homo rudolfensis, H. habilis lacked many of the things that were unique to later hominins such as slim hips for walking long distances, a sophisticated sweating system, narrow birth canal, and legs longer than arms. Such traits as noticeable whites in the eyes, smaller hairs resulting in exposed skin, and a naked appearance remain theoretical. Despite larger brains than earlier species, and bipedal locomotion, many scientists think H. habilis and its close relative H. rudolfensis to be more ape-like, and not properly belonging in the Homo genus.
Stratification and expansion
The evolution of Homo habilis is associated with the species' movement from the central Saharan region of Africa into the more demanding, yet resourceful habitats of Europe and to a lesser extent Asia. The major developments which contributed to this phenomenon were the greater knowledge and skill with which Homo habilis crafted the rock blade, increasing knowledge about climate and how to adapt accordingly and the evolution of the voice-box which allowed greater co-ordination in hunting than was hitherto possible. The larynx (plural larynges) colloquially known as the voicebox, is an organ in the Neck of Mammals involved in protection of the Homo habilis, due perhaps to many years of adaptation, were able to create flint blades with 10 cm (4 in) of cutting blade, this finer blade was strong enough to advance Homo habilis from scavenger to hunter. After many thousands of years of adaptation, humans were eventually able to accumulate enough information about the climate to adapt accordingly, building fires and wearing thick hides to stave off the cold. The evolution, or more so the moving of the voice box from the top of the throat to the bottom allowed a greater variety of speech required to co-ordinate and communicate during hunts. All of these evolutionary measures allowed Homo habilis to exploit the harsher climates of Asia and the borders of Europe. The western and central region of Europe was not settled by humanoids until the time of Homo erectus.
See also
- List of fossil sites (with link directory)
- List of hominina (hominid) fossils (with images)
Notes
- ^ New York Times article Fossils in Kenya Challenge Linear Evolution published August 9, 2007 says "Scientists who dated and analyzed the specimens — a 1. This is a worldwide list of important and/or well-known localities where Fossils have been found The following charts give a brief overview of several notable Primate Fossil finds relating to Human evolution. 44 million-year-old Homo habilis and a 1. 55 million-year-old Homo erectus — said their findings challenged the conventional view that these species evolved one after the other. Instead, they apparently lived side by side in eastern Africa for almost half a million years. "
- ^ Richard Leakey describes the discovery and naming of the first habilis in The Making of Mankind, pp 65-66 of the Dutton 1981 hardcover edition. Richard Erskine Frere Leakey (born 19 December 1944 in Nairobi, Kenya) is a Kenyan politician It was found by Jonathan Leakey at Olduvai, and was called at first "Jonny's child. " Richard says that Louis named the fossil for its "ability to make tools" and that habilis means "skilful. " By another account (see the notes for Louis Leakey) Louis solicited a name from Raymond Dart, which Phillip Tobias translated as "handyman. Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey ( LSB Leakey) ( August 7, 1903 – October 1 1972) was a Kenyan archaeologist and naturalist Raymond Dart ( February 4 1893 &ndash November 22 1988) was an Australian Anatomist and anthropologist Phillip Vallentine Tobias is a South African palaeoanthropologist and Professor Emeritus at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg " Later it became OH 7 described under "Famous specimens" below.
- ^ F. Spoor, M. G. Leakey, P. N. Gathogo, F. H. Brown, S. C. Antón, I. McDougall, C. Kiarie, F. K. Manthi & L. N. Leakey (9 August 2007). "Implications of new early Homo fossils from Ileret, east of Lake Turkana, Kenya". Nature (448): 688-691. doi:. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document.
- ^ BBC - Dawn of Man (2000) by Robin Mckie| ISBN 0-7894-6262-1
- ^ Hillary Mayell. Killer Cats Hunted Human Ancestors. National Geographic News. Retrieved on 2008-02-15. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor
- ^ Finds test human origins theory
References
- Early Humans (Roy A. Gallant)/Copyright 2000 ISBN 0-7614-0960-2
- The Making of Mankind, Richard E. Leakey, Elsevier-Dutton Publishing Company, Inc. , Copyright 1981, ISBN 0-525-150552, LC Catalog Number 81-664544.
- A New Species of Genus Homo from Olduvai Gorge, L. S. B. Leakey; P. V. Tobias; J. R. Napier, Current Anthropology, Vol. 6, No. 4, (Oct 1965)
External links
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