Anthropologists re-examined the skeleton of the “Turkana boy”, whose age is about 1.5 million years, and came to the conclusion that the bodies of human ancestors differed significantly from the body of a modern man. Moreover, it was found that the modern human body evolved recently.
Their findings to an international team of researchers published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, and briefly about the opening described on the website of the new York University. The study showed that our ancestors had a more slender build than previously thought. It is very different from the modern human body.
“Our own body is a figure with flat and high Breasts, a narrow pelvis and rib cage, says co-author Scott Williams of new York University. – Probably, it has appeared only recently in the process of human evolution, in particular, our species Homo sapiens”.
the study Authors, led by Marcus Basterom from the National Museum of Madrid suggest that the figure could be caused by the optimization of the respiratory system, which gave man the ability to long-distance running and other endurance.
to compare the present body with bodies of ancient humans, scientists have created a three-dimensional model of the “Turkana boy”. This skeleton was discovered in the 1980-ies to the West of lake Turkana in Kenya. He is a member of the species Homo erectus, its age is about 1.5 million years. This is one of the most complete fossil skeletons of human ancestors ever found.
the results of the analysis showed that Homo erectus were much less similar to modern humans, as we have for years imagined it. He wasn’t as slender as Homo sapiens, however, as scientists have found, he also had the ability to run a long distance.
This discovery surprised scientists, because until now it was thought that the ancients were powerful and stocky and didn’t know how long and fast to run. As it turned out, Homo erectus in this respect differed from the Neanderthals, who were really poor stayers.
representatives of this view was the more powerful, broad and short thorax than in modern humans. This suggests that Homo erectus had a more slender build than is commonly believed. At the same time it proves that the modern form of the human body has evolved very recently and not two million years ago, when he first appeared, Homo erectus.
“the findings change our understanding of Homo erectus, says Bastyr. His chest was much wider and vaster than most people living today.”
It resembles the chest of a stocky human cousins like the Neanderthals, who could inherit this form from Homo erectus. Scientists say that the evolution of the modern form of the human body is a fascinating transformation in light of how we and our ancestors have adapted to the natural environment.
However, still no accurate answer to the question of when exactly people today have got a relatively tall and slender body shape, which contrasts with the short, chunky and heavy bodies of the Neanderthals.
