Madison is back with another installment of “Did You Know?” This report is on Human Evolution. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as she enjoyed researching it. Thanks, Madison, for your hard work! – Peggy Gould

Human Evolution

Humans today are scientifically known as homo sapiens, of the homo species, we are the only living species of the genus Homo. We are preceded by many species. The very first known species is Sahelanthro Tchadensis. It’s debated whether this is a great ape species or human species by Paleoanthropologists. In 2002, Michel Brunet and a crew of co-authors described it as fragments from a human skull. The crushed skull was nicknamed Toumai. Orrorin Tugenensis came next. The species was discovered in 2001. The name means original man in Tugen language as its the direct first human species. Ardipithecus Kadabba followed years later.  A part of a lower jaw of this specimen was found on the ground in 1997 in Ethiopia. Paleoanthropologist Yahannes Haile-Selassie didn’t realize he had uncovered a new species.

Ardipithecus Ramidus came next. It was found in 1992 and 1994. A partial skeleton was found in 2009, she was named “Ardi”. Australopithecus Anamenis followed. In 1965, a research team found an arm bone of an early human ancestor, but it was unknown what species it was from. In 1994, a research team found teeth and bone fragments at the same site. A new species was officially declared found. Australopithecus Afarenis was the next species. It was discovered in 1974 the species was formally named 1978 after a wave of fossils was discovered in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Australopithcus Aficanus followed; It was actually the first human fossil to show up in 1924. It took 20 years to accept this as part of the human family tree. The very last species is Australopithecus Gahri. Gahri is not very well documented. It was discovered in 1990 in Ethiopia. The next species following was Paranthropus Aethiopicus. In 1985, a skull called the black skull was uncovered in Kenya. It is still unknown wether it descended from Australopithecus.  Paranthropus Boisei followed. It was discovered in 1959, Its skull growth suggests a large brain development into the homo species.

Paranthropus Rubustus is the very last species before the homo species took form. It was discovered in 1938 in South Africa and a new species was developed.