{"id":488381,"date":"2022-08-27T17:00:02","date_gmt":"2022-08-27T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/our-first-steps-fossil-may-boost-case-for-earliest-ancestor\/"},"modified":"2022-08-27T17:00:02","modified_gmt":"2022-08-27T14:00:02","slug":"our-first-steps-fossil-may-boost-case-for-earliest-ancestor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/our-first-steps-fossil-may-boost-case-for-earliest-ancestor\/","title":{"rendered":"#Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41b54e06515\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41b54e06515\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/our-first-steps-fossil-may-boost-case-for-earliest-ancestor\/#%E2%80%9COur_first_steps_Fossil_may_boost_case_for_earliest_ancestor%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9COur_first_steps_Fossil_may_boost_case_for_earliest_ancestor%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-1.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows from left, the femur, in posterior and medial view, and the right and left ulnae, in anterior and lateral view of Sahelanthropus tchadensis. These remains were discovered in 2001 by the Franco-Chadian Paleoanthropological Mission (MPFT). Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright - which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: Franck Guy\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-1.jpg\" alt=\"Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor\" title=\"This photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows from left, the femur, in posterior and medial view, and the right and left ulnae, in anterior and lateral view of Sahelanthropus tchadensis. These remains were discovered in 2001 by the Franco-Chadian Paleoanthropological Mission (MPFT). Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright - which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: Franck Guy\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                This photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows from left, the femur, in posterior and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>l view, and the right and left ulnae, in anterior and lateral view of Sahelanthropus tchadensis. These remains were discovered in 2001 by the Franco-Chadian Paleoanthropological Mission (MPFT). Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright &#8211; which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: Franck Guy\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Twenty years ago, scientists discovered a 7-million-year-old skull that they concluded belonged to a creature who walked upright and was our earliest known ancestor. Not everyone was convinced. Now, the researchers are back with more evidence they say strengthens their case.<\/p>\n<section class=\"article-banner first-banner ads-336x280\">\n         <!-- \/4988204\/Phys_Story_InText_Box --><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>Their new study published Wednesday analyzed arm and leg fossils found near the skull in Africa, looking for signs of walking on two feet instead of on all fours. When early humans started walking upright, it marked a key moment in our split away from apes<\/p>\n<p>In the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-022-04901-z\">paper in the journal Nature<\/a>, researchers again place the creature just on the human side of that evolutionary divide. The fossil species, named Sahelanthropus tchadensis, walked upright while still being able to climb around in trees, they reported.<\/p>\n<p>The species has been dated to around 7 million years ago, which makes it the oldest known human ancestor, by a long shot. That&#8217;s about a million years older than other early known hominins.<\/p>\n<p>But it&#8217;s been a source of fierce debate since the fossils were first unearthed in Chad in 2001.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers\u2014also led by scientists at the University of Poitiers in France\u2014initially looked at the fossil creature&#8217;s skull, teeth and jaw. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature03392\">They argued that the creature must have walked on two feet<\/a> and held its head upright, based on the location of the hole in the skull where the spinal cord connects to the brain.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This illustration provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows different modes of movement practiced by Sahelanthropus tchadensis. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright - which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: Sabine Riffaut, Guillaume Daver, Franck Guy\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS - Universite de Poitiers via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil.jpg\" alt=\"Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor\" title=\"This illustration provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows different modes of movement practiced by Sahelanthropus tchadensis. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright - which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: Sabine Riffaut, Guillaume Daver, Franck Guy\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS - Universite de Poitiers via AP\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                This illustration provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows different modes of movement practiced by Sahelanthropus tchadensis. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright &#8211; which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: Sabine Riffaut, Guillaume Daver, Franck Guy\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS &#8211; Universite de Poitiers via AP<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Other experts weren&#8217;t swayed by the early evidence.<\/p>\n<p>The latest work includes a thighbone that was not linked to S. tchadensis at first and went unstudied for years. Other researchers at the French university found the bone in the lab&#8217;s collection and realized it probably belonged to the fossil species.<\/p>\n<p>Compared to bones from other species, the thighbone matched up better with upright-walking humans than knuckle-walking apes, according to the study.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There is not one feature. There is just a total pattern of features,&#8221; co-author Franck Guy said of their analysis at a press briefing.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the debate over the species is likely to continue.<\/p>\n<p>Ashley Hammond, a scientist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York said more research is needed to find the creature&#8217;s place on the evolutionary tree.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-gallery js-article-gallery\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-2.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows the Djurab Desert where the fossil sites that yielded remains of Sahelanthropus tchadensis are located. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright - which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: MPFT\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-2.jpg\" alt=\"Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-low-up text-truncate mt-3\">\n                    This photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows the Djurab Desert where the fossil sites that yielded remains of Sahelanthropus tchadensis are located. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright &#8211; which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: MPFT\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP<br \/>\n                <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-3.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows an example of analysis performed to work out how Sahelanthropus tchadensis moved. From left are the femurs of Sahelanthropus tchadensis, a modern human, a chimpanzee and a gorilla. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright - which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: Franck Guy\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-3.jpg\" alt=\"Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-low-up text-truncate mt-3\">\n                    This photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows an example of analysis performed to work out how Sahelanthropus tchadensis moved. From left are the femurs of Sahelanthropus tchadensis, a modern human, a chimpanzee and a gorilla. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright &#8211; which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: Franck Guy\/PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP<br \/>\n                <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-4.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"In this photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022, researchers Franck Guy, left, and Guillaume Daver sit together at the PALEVOPRIM laboratory in Poitiers, France. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright - which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-4.jpg\" alt=\"Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-low-up text-truncate mt-3\">\n                    In this photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022, researchers Franck Guy, left, and Guillaume Daver sit together at the PALEVOPRIM laboratory in Poitiers, France. Based on arm and leg fossils, scientists concluded that Sahelanthropus, an ancient hominin species from Chad, walked upright &#8211; which would add evidence that it\u2019s the earliest human ancestor dug up so far, according to a study published on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in the journal Nature. Credit: PALEVOPRIM\/CNRS \u2013 Universite de Poitiers via AP<br \/>\n                <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not fully convinced yet,&#8221; Hammond said. &#8220;This could still also be a fossil ape.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Another researcher at the French university, Roberto Macchiarelli, had previously examined the thighbone and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0047248420301597?via%3Dihub\">determined the species was probably an ape.<\/a> Looking at the new study, Macchiarelli said he still doesn&#8217;t believe the species was a hominin, though it might have walked on two legs at times.<\/p>\n<p>Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian&#8217;s Human Origins Program, said the thighbone puts the species on &#8220;better footing&#8221; as a possible early human ancestor. But the real confirmation comes down to a common saying in the field: &#8220;Show me more fossils.&#8221;<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"article-main__explore my-4 d-print-none\">\n<p>                                            Study of partial left femur suggests Sahelanthropus tchadensis was not a hominin after all\n                                        <\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"mb-4\"\/>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n                                                                                                <strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                G. Daver et al, Postcranial evidence of late Miocene hominin bipedalism in Chad, <i>Nature<\/i> (2022).  <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-022-04901-z\">DOI: 10.1038\/s41586-022-04901-z<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                \u00a9 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Our first steps? Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor (2022, August 27)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 28 August 2022<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2022-08-fossil-boost-case-earliest-ancestor.html<\/p>\n<p>                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. 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Fossil may boost case for earliest ancestor&#8221; This photo provided by the University of Poitiers in August 2022 shows from left, the femur, in posterior and medial view, and the right and left ulnae, in anterior and lateral view of Sahelanthropus tchadensis. These remains were discovered in 2001 by the Franco-Chadian Paleoanthropological&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":488382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2022\/our-first-steps-fossil-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-488381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=488381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/488382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=488381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=488381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=488381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}