Found: New 2m-year-old human ancestor with a pigeon-toed gait

LONDON: A part-human and part-ape-like creature that existed two million years ago in South Africa, had a pigeon-toed gait, human-like front teeth, and was an able climber, new research has found. Researchers at Wits University in South Africa, including Peter Schmid from the University of Zurich, have described the anatomy of a single early hominin in six new studies.

The fossils discovered four years ago in Malapa near Johannesburg show a mixture of primitive features of australopiths and advanced features of later human species. The researchers led by prof Lee Berger believe the new species is currently the best candidate for a direct ancestor of our own genus Homo. "They show a narrow upper ribcage , as the large apes have such as orang-utans , chimpanzees and gorillas," said Schmid. Along with the largely complete remnants of the pectoral girdle, it has a conical ribcage with a raised shoulder joint, which looks like a permanent shrug.

The less well-preserved elements of the lower thorax on the other hand indicate a slim waist, similar to that of a human being.

Au sediba, like all the other representatives of the Australopithecus genus, had arms that were suitable for climbing as well as possibly for brachiation. Its conical shape makes it difficult to swing their arms when walking upright or running, plus they were a similar length to an ape's . "They probably couldn't run over longer distances, especially as they were unable to swing their arms, which saves energy,"he said. An examination of the lower extremities shows a heel, metatarsus, knee, hips and back, which are unique. These clearly belong to an individual, which is unique to fossil record of the earliest hominins.

'Tools shaped hands'

Anew fossil belonging to the oldest known anatomically modern hand suggests the strength and dexterity needed to make and use the latter tools quickly shaped our hands into what they are today , 'New Scientist' said. Our ancestors' tools went from basics to hand axes 1.7 million years ago.

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