Abentwana beTaung – Imvelaphi yaBantu

Iinsalela Zobuqhopho

©David Fleminger
Iinsalela ezinengi zeSewula Africa zatholwa ngu-Professor Raymond Dart kade ngonyaka ka-1924. U-Dart gade kumhlali we-Australia egade asebenza eSewula Africa njengo Professor we-Anatomy weJunivesithi ye-Witwatersrand. Lokha athethe ikhambo eliya e-Buxton Quarry eduze kwedorobho le-Taung esifundeni esele sibizwa bona yi-North-West Province, abanye abafundi baka Dart bathola iinsalela ezathunyelwa uprofesa wabo u-Prof.
As Dart lapha uprofesa ngokwakhe atlola phezulu endundumeni yamatje kobana kutholwe isikghoro sangaphakathi kwamathambo wekhakhayi.
Nange gade kuzinsalela zobuqhopho bakade befene bekuzokuthiwa kutholwe intwe ehle nekulu ngombana akhange kheyenzeke ngaphambili into enjalo. Kodwana wathi, ngabona ngisayiqala isese sesandleni into engiyiphetheko le kobana akusibuqhopho obujwayelekileko. Lapha ehlabathini ene-lime gade kunento efana nobuqhopho obukhulu ngokuphindaphindwe kathathu kunobuqhopho befene ubukhulu bawo budlula befene ekulu.
Ngokuthaba, u-Dart wathoma ukuzuma into ethize ebhokisini wathola ezinye iinsalela zobuso besilwanesi. Masinya wabona bona isilwane esisesandleni sakhe asitjangisi ubufakazi bokobana gade sikhamba siqondile, wabona nokobana amazinyo waso ngokurarako afana newabantu. Ngemva kwenyanga ezimbalwa wakhipha imbapiri yezesayentsi. Uphethe ngokobana iinsalela zamathambo wehloko leso ngese nto encani ehlangana nokuba mumuntu kanye nemfene, Australopithecus africanus.

Imvelaphi Yabantu

Koke lokhu abososayensi bakubona kuhlekisa ngombana gade badlumbana bona abantu bavele e-Asia, ubufakazi bakhe baphikisana nensalela zamathambo ezibizwa ngokobana yi-'Piltdown Man' (ekwathi ngemva kwalokho yakhitjhwa njengehlaya).
Ngaphandle kwalokho, umqabango wananyana yini evela enarheni esebumyameni ye-Africa gade ingakholweki begodu u-Dart waphikiswa bantu egade asebenza nabo benarheni ezingaphandle. Nanyana kunjalo abanye abambalwa basemkela ekubalwa hlangana u-Dr. Robert Broom. Nakukhamba iminyaka kwavunyelwana netiyori ka-Dart begodu umntwana we-Taung sele abonwa njengento eqakathekileko esenza bona sizwisise imvelaphi yabantu. U-Raymond Dart waragela phambili wasebenza isikhathi eside e-Wits wabhubha ngonyaka ka-1988, sele amdala aneminyaka eyi-95.

I-Australopithecines

©David Fleminger
Ibizweli lingakudondisi. I-Australo itjho bona itjingalanga begodu i-pithecine itjho kobana ifene. Njeke i-Australopithecine libizo lesayentsi elitlhadlhula bona ifene yetjingalanga. Ibizweli liphiwe inomboro yenlwane zakade ze-hominid ezitholwa epumalanga netjonalanga, kuyavunyelwana bona i-Australopithecines iqakathekile ekuhlanganisweni nesitepisi se-evolution.
Nasikhuluma sinaba, kunemihlobo emibili ye-Australopithecine: ezinonileko nezondileko. Ezondileko, zibizwa bona yi-Australopithecines,ekuqatjangwa bona zavela kokuthoma, iinlwanezi zavela eminyakeni eyi-4 million kanye neyi-2 million eyadlulako.Zibonwa gokobana zinomzimba omncani nekhakhayi elimsulwa (lokha nalimadaniswa nelefene) enekhakhayi elikhulu. Amathambo waso asedinini kanye nase nyaweni atjegisa bona ngewesilwane.
Kunemihlobo emibili we-gracile Australopithecine: Australopithecus afarensis (ezatholwa e-Eastern Africa kanye neSewula Africa ebizwa bona yi-Australopithecus africanus.

Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana