New human species identified from Kenya fossils

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

New human species identified from Kenya fossils
By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News - August 8th 2012

BBC News - Researchers studying fossils from northern Kenya have identified a new species of human that lived two million years ago.

The discoveries suggests that at least three distinct species of humans co-existed in Africa.

The research adds to a growing body of evidence that runs counter to the popular perception that there was a linear evolution from early primates to modern humans.

The research has been published in the journal Nature.

Anthropologists have discovered three human fossils that are between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old. The specimens are of a face and two jawbones with teeth.

"Nature was developing different human prototypes only one of which, our species, was ultimately successful”- Professor Chris Stringer Natural History Museum, London

The finds back the view that a skull found in 1972 is of a separate species of human, known as Homo rudolfensis. The skull was markedly different to any others from that time. It had a relatively large brain and long flat face.

But for 40 years the skull was the only example of the creature and so it was impossible to say for sure whether the individual was an unusual specimen or a member of a new species.

With the discovery of the three new fossils researchers can say with more certainty that H.rudolfensis really was a separate type of human that existed around two million years ago alongside other species of humans.

For a long time the oldest known human ancestor was thought to be a primitive species, dating back 1.8 million years ago called Homo erectus. They had small heads, prominent brows and stood upright.

But 50 years ago, researchers discovered an even older and more primitive species of human called Homo habilis that may have coexisted with Homo erectus. Now it seems H. rudolfensis was around too and raises the distinct possibility that many other species of human also existed at the time.

This find is the latest in a growing body of evidence that challenges the view that our species evolved in a smooth linear progression from our primate ancestors.

The human lineage


Instead, according to Dr Meave Leakey of the Turkana Basin Institute in Nairobi, who led the research the find shows that there was a diversity early on in the evolution of our species.

"Our past was a diverse past," she told BBC News, "our species was evolving in the same way that other species of animals evolved. There was nothing unique about us until we began to make sophisticated stone tools."

In other groups of animals many different species evolve, each with new traits, such as plumage, or webbed feet. If the new trait is better suited to the environment then the new species thrives, if not it becomes extinct.

According to Professor Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London, fossil evidence is increasingly suggesting that human evolution followed the same pattern.

"Humans seem to have been evolving in different ways in different regions. It was almost as if nature was developing different human prototypes with different attributes, only one of which, an ancestor of our species, was ultimately successful in evolutionary terms," he said.

According to Dr Leakey, the growing body of evidence to suggest that humans evolved in the same way as other animals shows that "evolution really does work".

"It leads to amazing adaptions and amazing species and we are one of them," she said.


A new species of human: One of several co-existing in Africa two million years ago

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19184370

[bonzo.specb]

Wow, that's amazing. Very interesting turn in "facts" of our history, there is indeed much more to our evolution and history than it seems.

[r3iXmann]

i thought we come from adam & eve?

[pioneer]

i thought we come from adam & eve?

Clearly it was bob & steve, great writers they were.

[Bizzare]

What proof suggests that humans are linked to these discoveries through evolution? It is possible that the fossils discovered belonged to primates that are now extinct and they co-existed with humans.

[MG Man]

biz, nex ting u gonna ask us to prove why the world isn't 6,000 years old

[TK!]

oh gawd.. tuner go bun. is ramadhan and dis is wah duane posting.

[Bizzare]

The same way you seek proof in the religion thread, well this is what you believe in - i'm asking y'all for proof now. Science is partly BASED on a lot of theories. When one theory is debunked a whole field in science can come crashing down. I really don't believe these findings date so far back because that's conflicting with theories in other areas of science such as geography (location of the fossils within the earth), chemistry (composition of such old remains) etc... without getting too much into this. This is like reading fiction.

[MG Man]

more plausible than a fairy in the sky

[Bizzare]

my mind is open to anything, but the story surrounding "the fairy in the sky" is stable though.

[Sky]

What proof suggests that humans are linked to these discoveries through evolution? It is possible that the fossils discovered belonged to primates that are now extinct and they co-existed with humans.

Thas what the article said meng. Yuh eh read it!!

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

Bizzare, they would not publish this without all the supporting evidence. Science does not work that way. it would also need to be supported by peers.

How are they so sure this is human?
By definition:
Humans (Homo sapiens), the only living members of the genus Homo, are mammals of the primate order originally from Africa, where they reached anatomical modernity about 200,000 years ago and began to exhibit full behavioral modernity around 50,000 years ago.

the size of the brain in primates among other things is what makes it "homo X" i.e. human.

not wanting to recreate a religion thread here. But religion is based on faith, science is based on fact. There are facts and multiple fossils found that support this theory of homo rudolfensis. It is not a belief.

I think you are confusing the meaning of the word "theory"
A scientific theory is "a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.

[Death-Row]

no cure for aids, no care.

[Bizzare]

The article is saying that multiple species of primates (the say "humans" out of belief that we evolved from such) co-existed and the most successful survived and continued to evolve into modern day humans.

Ok I forgot to add the word "modern". I meant to ask why isn't it possible that modern day humans co-existed with ancient primates.

Modern Humans could have existed in this very same anatomy since the beginning of time. There is possibly no evolution with humans. All those discoveries are simply other species of primates which are now extinct. Just as we have chimpanzees, baboons, etc

[Sky]

The article is saying that multiple species of primates (the say "humans" out of belief that we evolved from such) co-existed and the most successful survived and continued to evolve into modern day humans.

Ok I forgot to add the word "modern". I meant to ask why isn't it possible that modern day humans co-existed with ancient primates.

Modern Humans could have existed in this very same anatomy since the beginning of time. There is possibly no evolution with humans. All those discoveries are simply other species of primates which are now extinct. Just as we have chimpanzees, baboons, etc

There are facts that suggest otherwise.
If you think this is how it was, then go prove it. The scientific community will embrace it once it has facts.
But right now with the information gathered, that's what it looks like.

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

^ correct

The article is saying that multiple species of primates (the say "humans" out of belief that we evolved from such) co-existed and the most successful survived and continued to evolve into modern day humans.

Ok I forgot to add the word "modern". I meant to ask why isn't it possible that modern day humans co-existed with ancient primates.

Modern Humans could have existed in this very same anatomy since the beginning of time. There is possibly no evolution with humans. All those discoveries are simply other species of primates which are now extinct. Just as we have chimpanzees, baboons, etc

the article IS saying there was coexistence!!! did you read it?

the only problem with your supposition is that no "modern human" fossils or evidence has been found "since the beginning of time".

They have however found fossil evidence of homo habilis etc which lived from approximately 2.33 to 1.4 million years ago, homo erectus and later hominids such as Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo sapiens (modern humans) again from empirical evidence found and tested.

[DFC]

i believe, there was a time, long after the dinosaurs...plant and animal life evolved, eco-systems,but no modern humans existed.
And then came the Aliens, who did genetic mixing with their DNA and animal DNA that they found on Earth.

There were many tests done on many animals, the best results came from the ape.
After they decided to do their experiments on the ape, many sub-species of half ape,half alien came about. They fine tuned and finally got the genes right and created the perfect ape/alien hybrid.
And it proved to be intelligent enough to make tools, the ability to understand, language, intelligence and a high level of thinking ability.

And this is what we are today. We only now call ourselves Human Beings.

The other "sub-human" or early ancestor species, were just first attempts in our creation.

[MG Man]

sounds legit

[Ted_v2]

i believe, there was a time, long after the dinosaurs...plant and animal life evolved, eco-systems,but no modern humans existed.
And then came the Aliens, who did genetic mixing with their DNA and animal DNA that they found on Earth.

There were many tests done on many animals, the best results came from the ape.
After they decided to do their experiments on the ape, many sub-species of half ape,half alien came about. They fine tuned and finally got the genes right and created the perfect ape/alien hybrid.
And it proved to be intelligent enough to make tools, the ability to understand, language, intelligence and a high level of thinking ability.

And this is what we are today. We only now call ourselves Human Beings.

The other "sub-human" or early ancestor species, were just first attempts in our creation.

I believe it

[Crucial]

i believe, there was a time, long after the dinosaurs...plant and animal life evolved, eco-systems,but no modern humans existed.
And then came the Aliens, who did genetic mixing with their DNA and animal DNA that they found on Earth.

There were many tests done on many animals, the best results came from the ape.
After they decided to do their experiments on the ape, many sub-species of half ape,half alien came about. They fine tuned and finally got the genes right and created the perfect ape/alien hybrid.
And it proved to be intelligent enough to make tools, the ability to understand, language, intelligence and a high level of thinking ability.

And this is what we are today. We only now call ourselves Human Beings.

The other "sub-human" or early ancestor species, were just first attempts in our creation.

Don't go full-blown on ancient alien theory, you'll end up sounding like:

[Bizzare]

the article IS saying there was coexistence!!! did you read it?

Yes Duane, I know, I read the article.... read what I'm saying!!
As I said before - the article states there were three species of the genus Homo that coexisted, but none of those three species were Homo Sapien (modern day man)....... as yet!!
They believe that one of these evolved to be modern day man.

What I'm saying is, Homo Sapien (modern day man) could have been a fourth species that coexisted with these other three and there was no physical evolution involved in Human history. We have always existed in this very same form alongside those three species mentioned, along with the many other primates that are yet to be discovered. Those fossils are remains of extinct primates.

[Sky]

^^ Why not? Nobody said no. They said there's no evidence of that yet.

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

the article IS saying there was coexistence!!! did you read it?

Yes Duane, I know, I read the article.... read what I'm saying!!
As I said before - the article states there were three species of the genus Homo that coexisted, but none of those three species were Homo Sapien (modern day man)....... as yet!!
They believe that one of these evolved to be modern day man.

yes that's why i stated above that humans (homo sapiens) reached anatomical modernity about 200,000 years ago and began to exhibit full behavioral modernity around 50,000 years ago.

What they found and reported in that article are fossils that are between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old.

What I'm saying is, Homo Sapien (modern day man) could have been a fourth species that coexisted with these other three and there was no physical evolution involved in Human history. We have always existed in this very same form alongside those three species mentioned, along with the many other primates that are yet to be discovered. Those fossils are remains of extinct primates.

I know that is what you are trying to say, however there is fossil evidence of these earlier species from between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old but no evidence of homo sapiens (modern humans) from that time. If they co-existed then their bones and tools would be found with the same dating as these earlier primates.

no evidence to support your claims

[Yodins]

so 1 more piece of evidence tht proves we all came from monkeys?

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

so 1 more piece of evidence tht proves we all came from monkeys?

not really, but it shows more evidence that we had a common ancestor

[bluefete]

The research adds to a growing body of evidence that runs counter to the popular perception that there was a linear evolution from early primates to modern humans.


"Nature was developing different human prototypes only one of which, our species, was ultimately successful”- Professor Chris Stringer Natural History Museum, London

The finds back the view that a skull found in 1972 is of a separate species of human, known as Homo rudolfensis. The skull was markedly different to any others from that time. It had a relatively large brain and long flat face.

With the discovery of the three new fossils researchers can say with more certainty that H.rudolfensis really was a separate type of human that existed around two million years ago alongside other species of humans.

So after all that, it seems that we did not only evolve from primates!!!!!!

Should we add birds to the mix????? Sorry, we have tailbones, so that should be fish not birds. But I think this was established already.

How about elephants?

I agree with Bizzarre. Creationism is much more stable and consistent and does not fluctuate with every new piece of bone found!

[Alexy]

^ ape-alien hybrids? #ugly! lol

[kurpal_v2]

i believe, there was a time, long after the dinosaurs...plant and animal life evolved, eco-systems,but no modern humans existed.
And then came the Aliens, who did genetic mixing with their DNA and animal DNA that they found on Earth.

There were many tests done on many animals, the best results came from the ape.
After they decided to do their experiments on the ape, many sub-species of half ape,half alien came about. They fine tuned and finally got the genes right and created the perfect ape/alien hybrid.
And it proved to be intelligent enough to make tools, the ability to understand, language, intelligence and a high level of thinking ability.

And this is what we are today. We only now call ourselves Human Beings.

The other "sub-human" or early ancestor species, were just first attempts in our creation.

Yew are my sai-baba

[TrinbagoMan]

Excellent points Duane. This is the most sense i have ever seen you type.

I really don't believe these findings date so far back because that's conflicting with theories in other areas of science such as geography (location of the fossils within the earth), chemistry (composition of such old remains) etc... without getting too much into this. This is like reading fiction.

Bizarre, all other areas of science actually support evolution: surely there is disagreement as to the mechanism of evolution, but evolution as a process that occurred and occurs is a fact, very much like how gravity is a scientific fact.

Take a read: http://www.howcomyoucom.com/earlyhumans.shtml

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

^ thanks! I think.

The research adds to a growing body of evidence that runs counter to the popular perception that there was a linear evolution from early primates to modern humans.


"Nature was developing different human prototypes only one of which, our species, was ultimately successful”- Professor Chris Stringer Natural History Museum, London

The finds back the view that a skull found in 1972 is of a separate species of human, known as Homo rudolfensis. The skull was markedly different to any others from that time. It had a relatively large brain and long flat face.

With the discovery of the three new fossils researchers can say with more certainty that H.rudolfensis really was a separate type of human that existed around two million years ago alongside other species of humans.

So after all that, it seems that we did not only evolve from primates!!!!!!

Should we add birds to the mix????? Sorry, we have tailbones, so that should be fish not birds. But I think this was established already.

How about elephants?

I agree with Bizzarre. Creationism is much more stable and consistent and does not fluctuate with every new piece of bone found!

LOL and ignore all the blatant evidence around you just because it disagrees with your beliefs?

PLEASE go read some more on evolution.