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Judi Lynn

(160,211 posts)
Wed Oct 7, 2015, 02:54 AM Oct 2015

Newly-Discovered, Ancient Humans Were Tree-Climbers Who Walked and Used Tools

Newly-Discovered, Ancient Humans Were Tree-Climbers Who Walked and Used Tools

George Dvorsky
10/06/15 11:00am

Last month in South Africa, scientists announced the discovery of a new group of early humans called Homo naledi. Now an analysis shows that this hominin had hands capable of both tree climbing and tool use, plus feet that were adapted for walking upright.

The remains of the extinct hominin were discovered in the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system back in 2013. The fossils of at least 15 individuals—totaling 1,550 skeletal pieces—have since been excavated from the cave. In the ensuing paper, published in the science journal E-Life, the 47 co-authors proposed that the bones represent an entirely new species of the genus Homo. It’s way too early to tell if modern humans are descended from this species, but it’s clear we share a common ancestor.

H. naledi has a body and stature similar to Australopithecus—a small, extinct hominin that emerged some 4 million years ago in eastern Africa. But H. naledi also has a skull shape reminiscent of early Homo species. It probably weighed about 100 pounds, and stood nearly five feet tall. The remains have yet to be properly dated, but preliminary estimates place H. naledi at about 2.5 million to 3 million years ago. That said, some experts say more work is need to determine if all the remains belong to a single species, and until dating has been completed, the complete significance of this discovery cannot truly be known.

In an effort to paint a clear picture of the newly-discovered species, two separate papers released today in Nature describe the foot and hand of Homo naledi. Together, the studies strongly indicate that these ancient hominids were capable of both tree climbing and walking as their primary mode of movement—while also exhibiting the capacity for fine hand and finger movements.

More:
http://gizmodo.com/newly-discovered-ancient-humans-were-tree-climbers-who-1734921163

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Newly-Discovered, Ancient Humans Were Tree-Climbers Who Walked and Used Tools (Original Post) Judi Lynn Oct 2015 OP
I wonder how many of us could climb trees if we practiced enough. JDPriestly Oct 2015 #1
They must have come down as they developed LuvNewcastle Oct 2015 #2
We don't bounce? sorechasm Oct 2015 #3
Climate change IphengeniaBlumgarten Oct 2015 #4

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
1. I wonder how many of us could climb trees if we practiced enough.
Wed Oct 7, 2015, 05:30 AM
Oct 2015

Sounds like fun to me.

What do you think?

I have a lot of birds in my yard (except since the drought got so bad). I watch them in the trees and rather envy their ability to see so much from so high in the trees.

I wonder why humans stopped climbing trees in that way.

Any ideas?

LuvNewcastle

(16,820 posts)
2. They must have come down as they developed
Wed Oct 7, 2015, 05:46 AM
Oct 2015

better weapons to fight off predators. I'm guessing that one of the reasons they went to trees in the beginning was to avoid predators. They were likely descendants of tree-climbers and/or tree-dwellers, so it probably took something significant to make them stay on land. New predators in the trees are another possibility.

sorechasm

(631 posts)
3. We don't bounce?
Wed Oct 7, 2015, 05:49 AM
Oct 2015

I used to love climbing trees as a kid. Spent many hours of solitude in the branches and tree houses of West Virginia mountains. Once your up there though, you're not inclined to move around much: the tree is swaying from your weight, you're clinging to the trunk because none of the branches can support you, and you're envious of the squirrels who hop from limb to limb (downright jealous of birds).

Hard to compete with squirrels (or monkeys) as tree foragers. Easier to forage what falls to the ground, especially in socially organized groups of gatherers.

4. Climate change
Wed Oct 7, 2015, 05:46 PM
Oct 2015

I believe I have read that climate change caused many of the forested areas to become savannah/grasslands, and some of the early hominids adapted to this new environment.

Possibly another factor might be the slower development of larger brained babies that had to be carried, since they could not climb so soon after birth, and making it harder for their parents to live in the trees -- but this is my own notion, possibly someone can refute...

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