These bones were also attributed to Sahelanthropus because no other large primate was found at the site however, it is impossible to know if they belong to the same individual as the cranium. In addition to the cranium, nicknamed Toumaï, and fragments of jaws and teeth that have already been published, the locality of Toros-Menalla 266 (TM 266) yielded two ulnae (forearm bone) and a femur (thigh bone). This cranium, and in particular the orientation and anterior position of the occipital foramen where the vertebral column is inserted, indicates a mode of locomotion on two legs, suggesting that it was capable of bipedalism 2 Its description dates back to 2001 when the Franco-Chadian Paleoanthropological Mission (MPFT) discovered the remains of several individuals at Toros-Menalla in the Djurab Desert (Chad), including a very well-preserved cranium. 1At the PALEVOPRIM laboratory (CNRS / University of Poitiers).Īt 7 million years old, Sahelanthropus tchadensis is considered the oldest representative species of humanity.Published in Nature on August 24, 2022, this study reinforces the idea of bipedalism being acquired very early in our history, at a time still associated with the ability to move on four limbs in trees. A research team, involving researchers from the CNRS, the University of Poitiers 1Īnd their Chadian partners, examined three limb bones from the oldest human representative currently identified, Sahelanthropus tchadensis. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on its modalities and age, notably due to the lack of fossil remains. The acquisition of bipedalism is considered to be a decisive step in human evolution. The description of three limb bones of Sahelanthropus confirms habitual bipedalism, but not exclusively.
The shape of its cranium suggests a bipedal station. Sahelanthropus tchadensis, discovered in 2001 in Chad, is considered to be the oldest representative of the humankind.The modalities and date of emergence of bipedalism remain bitterly debated, in particular because of a small number of very old human fossils.
0 kommentar(er)
