One of the researchers studying the Australopithecus sediba fossil says it shows “characteristics of its ancestors and of its descendants.” Do you agree with this claim? Why or why not?
Answer:
I agree with the claim that it shows the characteristics of its ancestors and of its descendants.
The fossil skeletons of Australopithecus sediba from Malapa cave are so complete that scientists can see what entire skeletons looked like near the time when Homo evolved. Details of the teeth, the length of the arms and legs, and the narrow upper chest resemble earlier Australopithecus, while other tooth traits and the broad lower chest resemble humans.
These links indicate that Australopithecus sediba may reveal information about the origins and ancestor of the genus Homo. Functional changes in the pelvis of Australopithecus sediba point to the evolution of upright walking, while other parts of the skeleton retain features found in other australopithecines. Measurements of the strength of the humerus and femur show that Australopithecus sediba had a more human-like pattern of locomotion than a fossil attributed to Homo habilis.
These features suggest that Australopithecus sediba walked upright on a regular basis and that changes in the pelvis occurred before other changes in the body that are found in later specimens of Homo. The Australopithecus sediba skull has several derived features, such as relatively small premolars and molars, and facial features that are more similar to those in Homo.
However, despite these changes in the pelvis and skull, other parts of Australopithecus sediba skeleton shows a body similar to that of other australopithecines with long upper limbs and a small cranial capacity. The fossils also show that changes in the pelvis and the dentition occurred before changes in limb proportions or cranial capacity.
The combination of primitive and derived traits in Australopithecus sediba shows part of the transition from a form adapted to partial arboreality to one primarily adapted to bipedal walking. but the legs and feet point to a previously unknown way of walking upright. With each step, Australopithecus sediba turned its foot inward with its weight focused on the outer edge of the foot. This odd way of striding may mean that upright walking evolved on more than one path during human evolution.
Evolutionary Tree Information:
Australopithecus sediba’s mixture of primitive traits found in other australopithecines and derived traits also found in Homo makes the evolutionary position of Australopithecus sediba an interesting question. Similar to other australopithecine species, Australopithecus sediba is small in size, with long arms and small cranial capacity. Its features are more derived than those of Australopithecus anamensis and Australopithecus afarensis.
Australopithecus sediba bears a strong resemblance to Australopithecus africanus, a fossil species that is also found in South Africa. They have similar skull, facial and dental features. The species differ in features such as the shape of the cranium and the face, showing that Australopithecus sediba was more derived compared with Australopithecus africanus. The combination of similarities and differences led Berger and his colleagues to conclude that Australopithecus sediba was descended from Australopithecus africanus.
The traits Australopithecus sediba shares with Homo may indicate a closer relationship between this species and Homo than between other australopithecines and Homo. Berger and his colleagues proposed that Australopithecus sediba is ancestral to the genus Homo or is closely related to the ancestral species.
One of the researchers studying the Australopithecus sediba fossil says it shows “characteristics of its ancestors...
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