Umntwana Wase Taung – Abantu Bokuqala

Ubuchopho Obuyi Fosili

©David Fleminger

Ifosili yokuqala eyafumanekayo yomntu eAfrika yachazw ngu Professor Raymond Dart, ngomnyaka ka 1924. Lo ka Dart waye ngummi welizwe lase Australia, nowayesebenza eMzantsi Afrika njenge professor ye kwiDyunivesithi yase Witwatersrand. Ngethuba ephumile eye kwi Buxton Quarry kufuphi nedolophu yase Taung, Nebizwa ngephondo loMntla Ntshona namhlanje, abanye babafundi baka Dart bafumana ifosili enika umdla. Ezi ntsalela zakhawuleza zaboniswa lo ka Dart.
Akazange aphozise maseko ke naye wabe sele ebhala ingxelo ethi: “Kanye enkcochoyini kwamatye apakisheneyo kwakukho ubuchopho obungathandabuzekiyo okanye umphakathi wentloko. Ukuba ibiyi fosili yobuchobo besilo esifana nemfene, le ibizakuba yeyona nto inkulu, kuba akuzange kwabakho ngxelo zento enjalo. Kodwa ndayazi nje zisuka ukuba lento ndiyiphethe ezandleni zam ayibobuchopho nje besilwanyana-anthropoidal. Apha kulomhlaba uqiniswe yi lime yayibubuchobo obufana nqwa nobe mfene, ntonje buphindwa phindwe kathathu kunobemfene kwaye bukhulu kune chimpanzee endala.”
Ngovuyo lwesiquphe, lo ka Dart wavumbulula kule ndawo waze wafumana amasintswana obuso besi silo singaqhelekanga. Wakhawuleza wabona ukuba esi silwanyana sibonakalisa ubungqina bokuhamba simile, kwaye into engumnqa kukuba namazinyo aso ayekhangeleka okwa womntu. Kwi nyanga ezimbalwa ezandulela oko, wapapasha iphepha elithethisa kakhulu kweze ndalo ye sayensi-scientific journal. Wavala ngelithi eli thambo lentloko yayi lelesidalwa esiphakathi kwemfene kunye nabantu. Esi sidalwa wasithiya nge Australopithecus africanus.

Imvelaphi Yethu Singa Bantu

Konke oku kwabonwa njenga mampunge luluntu lweze nzulu lwazi lwalomaxesha. Isizathu soku yayi kukuba ngela xesha kwakukholeleka ukuba imvelaphi yabantu yaqala kwelase Asia. Ngoku ke obu bungqina butsha babungquzulana ne fossili yase Britain eyayibizwa nge ‘Piltdown Man’ (neyahambe yafunyaniswa ukuba ibubuxoki).
Ngaphandle kwalonto, ingcina yokuba kungakho into ephuma kwilizwekazi lase Afrika elisemva nelisahleli ebumnyameni yayingaginyeki ncam. Lo ka Dart wagxekwa kanobom ngamanye amaqabane awayesebenzisana nawo kweze nzululwazi kwihlabathi jikelele. Noxa kunjalo kwamane kusithi gqi iqaqobana elalimxhasa eliquka uDr Robert Broom. Ekuhambeni kweminyaka ukunyaniseka kwentetho/uphando luka Dart lwahamba lwamkelwa. Namhlanje Umntwana wase Taung ubonwa njenge kroba lokuqonda kwethu ngemvelaphi yabantu. uRaymond Dart waqhubeka iminyaka emininzi esebenza eWits, waandulela eli kuphela ngomnyaka ka 1988, sele eyingwevu eneminyaka engama 95.

I-Australopithecines

Eli gama mali ngakuphelelisi ngomdla. Australo uthetha aMazantsi aze u pithecine athethe imfene. Ngoko ke uAustralopithecine uthetha imfene yase Mazantsi. Eli ligama ekwathiywa ngalo iqela la mathambo ezidalwa zabantu bokuqala, nawafunyanwa eMpuma nase Mazantsi Afrika. Kwaye sele kwamkelwe jikelele ukuba ii-Australopithecines zilikroba elibalulekileyo kwileli yethu yempucuko nokuphuhla njengezidalwa ezingabantu.
Xa kuthethwa gabalala, zimbini iindidi ze Australopithecine: ezo zingqindilili kunye nezo ziceke ceke. Ezo ziceke ceke zikwabizwa ngee gracile Australopithecines, kwaye kukholeleka ukuba zizo ezabakhona kuqala. Amathambo azo afumanekayo abalelwa kwiminyaka ephakathi kwe zigidi ezi 5 kunye nezi 2 eyadlulayo. Zibonakala ngemizimba emincinane kunye nethambo lentloko elicikizekileyo (xali thelekiswa nelee mfene) kunye nengqondo enkulu ngeloxesha. Ii pelvis yazo kunye namathambo emilenze ibonakalisa ukuba zazinako ukuhamba ngemilenze emibini ubukhulu becala.
Zimbini ezona ndidi ze gracile Australopithecine: Australopithecus afarensis (nefumaneka eMpuma Afrika) kunye ne Australopithecus africanus (efumaneka eMazantsi Afrika).

Translated by Zizipho Silwana