Inqondo Yasendulo
Imfuyo yokuqala ye-hominid etholakala e-Afrika yaboniswa nguProfesa Raymond Dart, emuva ngo-1924. UDart wayengumAustralia owayesebenza eNingizimu Afrika njengomprofesa we-Anatomy eNyuvesi yaseWutwatersrand.
Ngesikhathi sisendleleni yasenkundleni e-Buxton Quarry eduze kwedolobha laseTaung esifundeni samanje seNyakatho-West, abanye abafundi bakaDart bathola izibonelo ezithile ezithakazelisayo ezazithunyelwa kuProfesa wazo ohlonishwayo njengoba uDart ngokwakhe ebhala: "Esiqongweni se-rock heap kwakungenakuphikwa ukuthi i-endocranial cast noma isikhunta sezingaphakathi ze-skull.
Ukube bekuwukuphela kobuchopho obunjalo bokuphefumula kwanoma yiluphi uhlobo lwezintambo lwaluyobe lubekwe njengokuthola okukhulu, ngoba into enjalo yayingakaze ibikwe. Kodwa ngangazi ukuthi ngeso lengqondo esasibekwe ezandleni zami kwakungesona ubuchopho obuvamile bendabuko.
Lapha enhlabathini yesiliva ehlanganisiwe kwakuwuphawu lobuchopho kathathu lukhulu njengalo lwebhongo futhi lukhulu kakhulu kunalesi sifo somuntu omdala.
" Ngokuzumayo ujabule, uDart wagijima ebhokisini futhi wathola izingcezu ezingaphezulu zobuso bendalo. Wabona masinyane ukuthi lesi silwane sibonisa ubufakazi bokuhamba kahle, futhi amazinyo abukeka angabonakali abantu... Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kamuva, washicilela iphepha eliphikisana kakhulu encwadini yezesayensi, Nature.
Isiphetho sakhe sasiwukuthi lesi skull yayiyingxenye encane yezinhlobo zezinhlobo ezawela phansi phakathi kwamapesheni nabantu banamuhla. Wabiza lolu hlobo lwe-Australopithecus africanus.
Iziqalo Zethu Njengabantu
Konke lokho kwakubhekwa njengento emangalisa ngumphakathi wesayensi wangaleso sikhathi, njengoba kwakucatshangwa ngesikhathi abantu bevela e-Asia, futhi ubufakazi bakhe buphikisana nemvelo yaseBrithani ebizwa ngokuthi 'iPiltdown Man' (kamuva eyabonakaliswa njengengqondo).
Ngaphandle kwalokho, ukucabanga kwanoma yini ephuma kuleli zwekazi elimnyama, elibuyela emuva lase-Afrika lalingenakuqonda futhi uDart wayehlekwa usulu ngama-international colleagues. Noma kunjalo, kwabasekeli abambalwa kuhlanganise noDkt. Robert Broom.
Phakathi neminyaka, ukunemba kwembono kaDart kwasungulwa futhi namuhla ingane kaTaung ibonakala njengesixhumanisi esibalulekile ekuqondeni kwethu imvelaphi yabantu. URaymond Dart waqhubeka nomsebenzi omude eWits futhi wafa ngo-1988, ngesikhathi eseneminyaka engu-95 ubudala.
I-Australopithecines
Ungavumeli igama likukhiphe. I-Australia isho ukuthi i-Southern kanye ne-pithecine kusho i-ape. Ngakho i-Australopithecine isho i-api yaseNingizimu.
Leli gama linikezwe eziningana zezinhlobo zokuqala ze-hominid ezitholakala kokubili eMpumalanga naseNingizimu Afrika, futhi kuvunywa ukuthi i-Australopithecines iyisixhumanisi esibalulekile esiteji sethu sokuziphendukela kwemvelo. Ngokubanzi, kunezinhlobo ezimbili ze-Australopithecine: ama-thick and the thin ones.
Ama-thin, abuye abizwe ngokuthi i-gracile i-Australopithecines, acatshangwa ukuthi avele kuqala, futhi usuku lwama-specimens phakathi kuka-4 million nezigidi ezimbili zeminyaka edlule.
Zibonakaliswa ngokwakheka kancane futhi i-skull ehlanjululisiwe (uma kuqhathaniswa nama-api abo abaphila ngaso) enekhono elikhulu lobuchopho ngaleso sikhathi. Amapulangwe abo kanye namathambo omlenze abonisa nokuthi okungenani bipedal kancane.
Kunezinhlobo ezimbili eziyinhloko ze-Australopithecine ye-gracile: i-Australopithecus afarensis (etholakala eMpumalanga Afrika) nase-Australopithecus africanus (etholakala eNingizimu Afrika).
Translated by Nsika Khoza