3 million years old 'Little Foot' skull reveleas how human ancestors lived

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 High-resolution micro-CT scanning of the skull of the fossil specimen known as 'Little Foot' has revealed some aspects of how this Australopithecus species used to live more than 3 million years ago.

The meticulous excavation, cleaning and scanning of the skull of the ~3.67 million-year-old fossil specimen has revealed the most complete Australopithecus adult first cervical vertebra yet found. A description of the vertebra by Wits University researchers Dr Amélie Beaudet and the Sterkfontein team was published in the Scientific Reports.

The first cervical vertebra (or atlas) plays a crucial role in vertebrate biology. Besides acting as the connection between the head and the neck, the atlas also plays a role in how blood is supplied to the brain via the vertebral arteries.

 By comparing the atlas of "Little Foot" with other fossils from South and East Africa as well as living humans and chimpanzees, the Wits University team shows that Australopithecus was capable of head movements that differ from modern humans.  

Because "Little Foot" is so well-preserved, blood flow supply to the brain could also be estimated for the first time, using evidence from the skull and vertebrae. These estimations demonstrate that blood flow, and thus the utilisation of glucose by the brain, was about three times lower than in living humans, and closer to the those of living chimpanzees.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200317103821.htm

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

So their heads moved more like birds? Or more like chimps?

[GaGaAst 13,124]

It looks like that of monkey. I wonder how we will look in future 

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3 minutes ago, TimisaMonster said:

So their heads moved more like birds? Or more like chimps?

They were more mobile supposedly to help them climb into trees more easily.

[Enzo 37,977]

Church keeps on losing 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

1 hour ago, GaGaAst said:

It looks like that of monkey. I wonder how we will look in future 

I imagine more and more hairless so I honestly think men and women going bald is just our genes getting ready for the next step in human evolution...men will all be bald in the future