Australopithecus Sediba: The Early Homo Species - Essay Example

 Australopithecus sediba- The Early Homo Species The discovery of the two partial skeletons of a hitherto unclassified species of hominid, called Australopithecus sediba from a cave at Malapa site in South Africa is a unique find in the sense that it extends much missing information as to the physical evolution of Homo sapiens. As the primary focus of Physical Anthropology is to trace and explain the development and ancestry of Homo species in context to other primates, the research under consideration is of immense relevance to this discipline.

This recently documented species besides being an upright walker, shares many other prominent physical traits with the homo species like the pelvic configuration and small teeth (Science Daily: Online). The decadency of the new species is credibly linked to the already known early hominids, Australopithecus africanus. An analysis of the general physique of this species explains early human transition towards “energy-efficient walking and running (Science Daily: Online)”. This research contributes to the existing knowledge on human evolution in the sense that it allows a meaningful insight into the times when hominids moved from a life on the tress towards a more earth bound existence (Science Daily: Online).

This research corroborates the anthropological premise that the human evolution from small bodied, tree dwelling ancestors to comparatively larger bipeds capable of running and walking took place in slow and gradual stages. This had made the existing knowledge related to human evolution more complete, systematic and rationally explainable. Works Cited“New Hominid Shares Traits with Homo Species: Fossil Find Sheds Light On the Transition to Homo Genus from Earlier Hominids, April 8”.

ScienceDaily.com. 2010. Science Daily. 17 July 2011 .