Matimu ya Ntumbuluko ya Cradle of Humankind

Vutivi bya Ndzhundzhuluko

©David Fleminger

Disclaimer leyi anameke: vutivi bya ndzhundzhuluko abyi amukeriwi hi mani na mani. Endzhaku ka kutlula 100 wa malembe ya vulavisisi bya xi sayense xikan’we na kamara ra vuhlayisi leringa tala hiti fossils, kuna vanhu votala lava tsandzekaka ku fananisa ndzhundzhuluko na kupfumela kavona ka vukhongeri na ka ximunhu. Kahle kahle, ntlimbo exikarhi ka ndzhundzhuluko naku akiwa swikhumba timbilu ta vanhu swinene namuntlha kufana naloko mutivi wa ntumbuluko lontsongo wa nkanu Charles Darwin atava a sungule ku hlamarisa misava hikwalaho ka tsalwa rakwe leringa xavisa swinene leri vuriwaka ‘On the Origin of Species’.
Loko unga tshembi kufana ka lava va lwisanaka na ndzhundzhuluko, endla vulavisis bya wena eka ‘creationism’ kutani uta kuma vuxokoxoko lebyikulu lebyi lwisanaka kumbe ku tsanwa ndzhundzhuluko. Hambiswiritano, lowu a hi nkarhi kumbe ndzhawu yakuva hi njhekanjhekisana xikan’we na mavonelo lawa yanga kona yaleswaku swikolo leswimbi aswi hlangani helo eka leswi swinyikelaka swona.

E Handle ka Afrika

©David Fleminger

Ku ehleketeleriwa leswaku kutlula 35% wati hominid fossils ta misava letinga kumeka kufikela sweswi tikumeke eka tindzhawu tale Cradle of Humankind – leti sweswi ti endlaka kutlula 1000 wa swikombiso kusuka eka tindzhawu ta 11 to hambana hambana. Ku yisa emahlweni, ti fossils leti titala kuva tiri eka xiyimo xa kahle swinene xa nhlayiso, laha ku khensiwaka kuva ti celelekile e mabakweni lawa yanga oma, ya xinyami, naswona leswi swipfunete tinxaka totala ta vativi va sayense nati anatomists kuva vatirha kuye emahlweni hi vulavisisi bya vona kutwisisa laha hi humaka kona. Naswona kuna swotala!
Hikokwalaho ka leswi Cradle of Humankind yingana magidi-gidi yati fossils letingana vumbhoni bya flora na fauna swa ndzhawu liya ya xikhale. Ku fukuriwa ka mabaku yotala lawa yanga e Cradle of Humankind switise vumbhoni byotala lebyi kombetaka leswi hlamarisaka xikan’we na leswi swi chavisaka swinene swa swivumbiwa leswinga tshama swiva kona eka ndzhawu liya xikan’we nava kokwa wa kokwa wa hina: kuna swihadyana swo hlawuleka leswi mamisaka, ti rodents, swihloni, timhala, timfenhe, minkawa, ti hongonyi totala letingana timhondzo letinga leha timitara tinharhu, swimanga swa matinu yambirhi lawa yakulu yanga goveka, swofana na leswi vange iti Dinofelis, wolf-dog of Gladysvale yo hlamarisa, hanci ya matinu yanharhu, nhuntla ya nhamu yokoma, hinga vuli ti dassies, timhinsi letikulu xikan’we nati nguluve ta nhova letikulu (leti tingavaka titika kwalomu ka 120 kgs).
Nkoka wa mfuwo wati fossils tale Cradle of Humankind, swahatetano, wuna nkoka lowunga vutisiweki naswona lebyi i vumbhoni byo khomeka lebyingana ntikelo swinene eka vutivi byale handle ka Afrika, lebyi hlamuselaka leswaku kuve na ndzhundzhuluko wa vanhu va manguva lawa e Dzongeni wa Afrika loka vanga se rhurhela e nwalungwini kutani va fuma misava. Ku pfumela loku ku yisa emahlweni ku tiyisisiwa ka swikombiso swotala swa maribye lawa ynga kumeka eka ndzhawu liya, naswona switlhele switiyisisiwa kungari khale hi vulavisisi bya ku hambana ka ti genes eka vanhu vamanguva lawa.

Swotala ku Swikuma

Xobiha xakona, kuya hi vonelo ra genealogical, switika ngopfu ku kumisisa kungava ku humelele yini naswona swifanele ku tekeriwa enhlokweni leswaku ndzhundzhuluko wa vanhu a swiseva sayense leyi tiviwaka. Kuya hi ntiyiso, ku twisisa ka hina hiva kokwa wa kokwa wa hina swile henhla ka nhlayo yintsongo swinene yati fossils xikanwe nakukumiwa kuntshwa loku yaka emahlweni ku endla leswaku hi boheka ku langutisisa naku tshamela ku cinca cinca laha hi davukaka kona.
Kambe leswi swi engetela nyanyuko eka wa ntirho lowukulaka wa palaeoanthropology naswona, hambi kuri endzhaku ka 80 wa malembe lawa ya yaka emahlweni ya ku ceriwa kale Cradle of Humankind, tkahari na swotala swaku swikuma. Namuntlha, ndzhawu ya Cradle of Humankind yiya e mahlweni yi koka rinoko ra vativi kusuka emisaveni hinkwayo lava valavaka ku nghenisa vito ravona eka nxanxamelo wa vativi va sayense lavanga hoxa xandla eka ntirho lowu. Xana i mani loyi anga tshama aswi ehleketa leswaku kudyondza hi leswi swinga hundza swinga hundzuka nyanyulo wotani?
Mphikizano lowuya wa khale wa ‘relay-race’ eka ndzhundzhuluko wa munhu laha muxaka wun’we wunga hundzisa ximhandzani kuya eka xin’wani switikombe swinga hanyi. Leswi switerisa vusiwana hikuva khale a swi olova, kufana naku dirowiwa ka mfenhe leyiyaka yi hundzuka munhu: Timfenhe ti hundzuka Australopithecus, leyi hundzukeke Homo habilis, leyingava Homo erectus, leyinga hundzuka Homo sapiens.
Ti fossils leti tikumeka e Cradle of Humankind nale Eastern Africa tikomba leswaku akuri na tinxaka totala swinene tohambana hambana tati hominids leti ati hanya eka ndzhawu yin’we hinkarhi wun’we. Leswi swinga endla leswaku muxaka wun’we wukota ku hanya loko letotala ti fa? Swatika ku hlamusela leswingavaka swihumelerile hintiyiso. Kumbe loko muxaka wun’we awuri na swin’wana leswinga endlaka leswaku swikota ku hanya. Kumbe muxaka wun’we wukota ku tolovela. Kumbe muxaka wun’wana awu kota ku twisisa timhaka ta ririmi kutlula wun’wana. Kumbe muxaka wun’wana awu tekanile na wunwana. Kumbe muxaka wun’wani wu hlasele wun’wana wu wudlaya leyin’wana. Swivutiso leswi hinkwaswo kaha njhekanjhekanisiwa hiswona kufikela na namuntlha na sweswi hi va aki va Palaeo, naswona kuna nhlayo yokarhi ya matsalwa ya lavangana vutivi lawa ya hlamuselaka swinene hivu enti bya xiyimo xin’wana na xin’wana.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni