Everything Life Sciences Grade 10

FACT

Philip Tobias
(October 1925–June
2012) was a South
African palaeoan-
thropologist at
University of
Witwatersrand
whose work has
contributed
enormously to our
understanding of
how humans
evolved. He is best
known for his work
with fellow
palaeoanthropolo-
gist Louis Leakey.
He identified the
ancestral species of
human beings
known as theHomo
habilis. His work at
the Sterkfontein
caves in Gauteng
has led to it
becoming a World
Heritage site. He
was also famous for
his opposition to
apartheid and gave
speeches
condemning
apartheid at protest
rallies and also to
academic
audiences.

Event in human evolutionary history Evidence of event from Africa

Hominins and chimpanzees diverge

from a common ancestor.

The earliest known human ancestor

after the chimpanzee/human

separation isOrrorin tugenensis

(Millenium Man, Kenya, around 6

million years ago)

Evidence of development of

bipedalism in humans in

Australopithecus afarensis

Human-like footprints discovered on

volcanic ash in Laetoli Kenya from

3,9–2,9 million years ago

Bipedal austrolopithecines lose body

hair 3–2 million years ago

These bipedals evolved in the

savannas of Africa and loss of body

hair occurs in parallel with the

development of bipedalism

Homo habilisdiscovers ability to use

tools 2,3–1,4 million years ago

Fossils discovered in Tanzania, East

Africa in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania and

at Lake Turkana, Kenya

Approximately 200 000 years ago,

anatomically modern humans evolved.

The earliest fossil evidence found is

near Omo river in Ethiopia

Fossil sites from South Africa providing evidence for pre-humans and humans

South Africa has been the site of various fossil sites and has been home to some of the world’s

leading paleoanthropologists such as Robert Broom, Raymond Dart and Phillip Tobias. Fos-

sils of pre-humans and humans found across the country have contributed significantly to

our understanding of human history on Earth. The table below shows some of the evidence

and where it is located in South Africa.

Fossil Evidence and Age Location in South Africa Importance

Australopithecus

africanus(the ”Taung

Child”) (approximately

2,5 million years ago)

Kimberley Most direct ancestor of

modern humans

Australopithecus sediba

(approximately 2 million

years ago)

Malapa Nature Reserve,

Johannesburg

First evidence of

transition to tool-making

in humans

Homo sapiens

(approximately 75 000

years ago)

Klasies River Caves,

Eastern Cape

Discovery of earliest

anatomically modern

humans

11.4 Mass extinctions DUMMY

Amass extinction is defined by a sharp decrease in the amount of plant and animal life.

There have been five major mass extinction events in Earth’s history. These are shown in the

table given, along with the major events that characterised each.

330 11.4. Mass extinctions