Umntfwana we Taung – Indalo Yetfu yeBuve/Buntfu

Ingcondvo yetintfo Letisele Letafa

©David Fleminger
Intfo yekucala lenkhulu yetintfo letisele yaletafa letinemnotfo letitfolwa la Afrika tabonwa ngu Phrofesa Raymnond Dart, emuva ngemnyaka wa 1924. Dart abe wase Australia lobekasebenta eNingizimu Afrika njenga phrofesa we Anatomy ku Nyuvesi yase Witwatersrand. Abe aseluhambeni eBuxton Quarry edvute nasedolobheni lase Taung esikhatsini samanje eSifundzeni sase North West, labanye bafundzi ba Dart batfola tintfo letichazako letafa letitfoliwe letatitfunyelwe kuPhrofesa wabo.
Njobe Dart ucobolwakhe abhala:
“Etulu kwelitje lelikhulu lelisidvuli bekukhona lokungatjatwako intfo lejikiwe yesikobho. Bekungatsi ngulokwafa lokutfoliwe kwesikobho lesijikiwe sanoma ngusiphi silwane lesiyimfene bekutoba yintfo lenkhulu letfoliwe, ngentfo lenjena lengazange seyipotwe. Kepha ngati nangikubona kutsi lolokulele etandleni tami bekungasiyo intfo lengiyo yengcondvo ye anthropoidal. Lana emhlabatsini we lime kwakuyintfo lekotjiwe lefana ncamashi nesikobho lesiphindze katsatfu ngebukhulu naleso sengobiyane futsi lesibonwa sisikhulu kunaleso se chimpanzee lendzala.”
Ngekujabula kwekushesha, Dart wahliphita kulelibhokisi watfola tintfo letiningi letifile tebuso betilwane letingatfolakali kahle. Washeshe wabona kutsi leti tilwane tiboniso luphawu lwekuhamba ticondzile, lamatinyo abukeka awangemuntfu… Etinyangeni letimbalwa muva, wakhokha liphepha lelihlangahlangene ngekwekubhala kwesayensi, Indalo/Imvelo. Kugcinwa kwakhe kwabakutsi lelisikobho sasisesilwane lesincane saletinye tilwane letawela kulenye indzawo emkhatsini wetimfene kanye nebantfu labaphucukile. Wabita letitilwane ema Australopithecus africanus.

Imvelaphi Yetfu

Konkhe loku kwatsatfwa njengentfo lenkhulu ngumumango wesayensi, njengoba kwakucatjangwa kutsi ngaleso sikhatsi kutsi bantfu basuka eAsika, futsi kubonisa kwakhe kwashayisana naloko bekwenteke kahle kwetintfo letifile letatfolakala letibitwa nge ‘Ndvodza ye Piltdown’ (lemuva yavetwa njengentfo yemachinga).
Ngaphandle, kwemcabango wanoma yini lephuma ebumnyameni, live lasemuva eAfrika lalikadze lingemuva ngekuvisisa bese Dart abekadze akhulunywe kabi tisebenti tasemaveni angaphandle. Nomakunjalo, lambalwa labebamesekela bema kufaka ekhatsi Dokotela Robert Broom. Ngekuhamba kweminyaka, kucondza kwemibono ya Dart kwakhokhwa futsi namuhla Lomntfwana wase Taung ubonakala njengentfo lebalulekile ngekuva kwetfu kwemvelaphi yebantfu. Raymnond Dart wachubeka waba nemsebenti lomudze eWits wabese ushona ngemnyaka wa 1988, nasekaneminyaka lemashumi layimfica nesihlanu budzala

I-Australopithecines

©David Fleminger
Ungalente leligama likucansule. Austral uchaza kutsi Ningizimu bese pithecine usho imfene. Ngako iAustralopithecine uchaza Imfene yase Ningizimu. Leliligama lelanikwa tilwane letiningi temnotfo letatfolwa eMphumalanga nase Ningizimu yase Afrika, futsi kumukelekile kutsi lama Australopithecine abalulekile kulengucuko yetfu lebeyicanca.
Ngekukhuluma ngenkhululeko, timbili tinhlobo tema Australopithecine: leleticinile lanetincama. Leletincama, letiphindze tibitwe ema gracile Australopithecines, ticatjangwa kutsi tivele kucala, bese tibaneminyaka lesemkhatsini kwe tigidzi letine kanye naletimbili teminyaka yakadzeni. Tibekwa ngentfo lencane futsi ticutsaniswa ngesikobho (natibekiswa netimfene letenta intfo lefana ngesikhatsi lesifanako) ngengcondvo lenkhulu kakhulu ngalesikhatsi. Letindingilizi talamatsambo lapho kuhlangana khona ematsambo kanye nematsambo emilente aphindze akhombise kutsi incenye yato ikhomba kutsi tilwane letihamba ngetinyawo letimbili.
Timbili tilwane letingitona te gracile Australopithecine: iAustralopithecus afarensis (letfolwa eMphumalanga yase Afrika) bese iAustralopithecus africanus (itfolwa eNingizimu ye Afrika).

Translated by Phindile Malotana