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Small hominids of the genus "Australopithecus afarensis" spent most of their time hanging from their mothers or trees, according to an analysis published today of the remains of a child under 3 years old, discovered in 2002 in Dikika (Ethiopia) and popularly known as "Lucy's baby."
According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, a research team at the American University Dartmouth College concluded that the wear and tear of the foot bones of the rest of the small show that despite the ability to walking, spent most of the time hanging out.
Various investigations, based on the remains of "Lucy", discovered in 1974 in the Afar region (Ethiopia) and considered one of the oldest fossils of the world, 3.2 million years old, they had determined that "Australopithecus afarensis" was the first hominid to walk upright.
However, the relative strength of the arms and legs of this hominid shows that he spent a lot of time climbing trees, which is why scientists believe that it was halfway to the development in chimpanzees and modern humans.
The research reported today, however, is the first to be interested in the ability of young hominids to walk
"For the first time, we were able to observe what it was that to walk for a little boy of two and a half, over three million years, "says Jeremy DeSilva, lead author of the article and professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College
L & # Wear of the bones of Dikika's small feet, especially the base of his thumbs, shows that even though he already had the ability to walk, the boy spent most of his time hanging from trees or from his mother
"Walking with the legs is an important step to be human. But walking awkwardly in an environment riddled with predators is a sure recipe for extinction, "concludes DeSilva
Agencia EFE
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