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Hominins - UPSC Notes | Testbook.com

The evolution of early ancestors, also known as hominins, is a fascinating topic. Notably, the species Australopithecus afarensis, stood as erect as modern humans. This article aims to provide a comprehensive study about Hominins, an essential topic for IAS exam.

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Understanding Hominins

The term 'hominins' refers to early human ancestors. A significant study on this was carried out by a researcher from Cambridge University, who digitally reconstructed the missing soft tissue of an early human ancestor or hominin.

  • Australopithecus afarensis, one of the early hominins, had strong leg and pelvic muscles, suitable for tree-dwelling. However, their knee muscles supported fully erect walking, similar to modern humans.
  • Existing around three million years ago in Eastern Africa, Australopithecus afarensis is an early human species.
  • Despite having a shorter stature, ape-like face, and a smaller brain than present humans, Australopithecus afarensis was capable of walking on two legs and adapting to both tree and savannah dwelling.
  • Dr Ashleigh Wiseman's 3D model of the leg and pelvis muscles of Australopithecus afarensis using scans of 'Lucy', a famous fossil specimen discovered in Ethiopia in the mid-1970s, reveals fascinating insights.
  • The major muscles of Lucy’s thigh and calves were twice the size compared to modern humans. This is due to modern humans having a higher fat-to-muscle ratio.
  • Reconstruction of Lucy’s muscle showed that it was well-versed in bipedalism like humans and likely walked and moved unlike any species today.
  • Lucy, a young adult, stood just over one metre tall and probably weighed around 28kg. Her brain was roughly a third of the size of modern humans.
  • Dr Ashleigh Wiseman used MRI and CT scans of the muscle and bone structures of a modern woman and man to map the “muscle paths” and build a digital musculoskeletal model.
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