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LivingNotes
Origin of
Humans
Since then, numerous other important discoveries have been made at Olduvai Gorge and other sites throughout Tanzania. These discoveries have included the remains of other early human species, such as Homo habilis and Homo erectus, as well as the tools and artifacts they left behind.
Tanzania is one of the most important regions in the world for the study of human evolution, as it is home to some of the oldest known human fossils ever discovered. T hese fossils have provided valuable insights into the early origins of One of the most significant findings from these excavations has been the humans, and have helped scientists discovery of stone tools that date back piece together the story of our as far as 2.6 million years ago. These tools were made by early humans who evolution.
were capable of shaping rocks into sharp flakes and using them for cutting One of the most famous sites for and scraping. human fossils in Tanzania is the Olduvai Gorge, which is located in The discovery of these tools has shed Great Rift Valley. The gorge was first new light on the cognitive abilities discovered by a German entomologist of early humans, and suggests that named Wilhelm Kattwinkel in 1911, they were much more intelligent and and has since become one of the most sophisticated than previously thought. important sites for the study of human It has also helped scientists to better evolution. understand the environmental and ecological factors that influenced the The first major discovery at Olduvai evolution of our species. Gorge was made in 1959 by a husband and wife team, Louis and Mary Leakey. The early origins of humans in TanzaThey found a skull that was later nia have been the subject of extensive identified as belonging to a new species study & research over the past century. of early human, which they named The discovery of ancient human Zinjanthropus boisei. This discovery fossils & stone tools at sites like Olduvai provided the first concrete evidence Gorge have provided valuable insights that early humans had evolved in into our evolutionary history, & have Africa, and not in Asia or Europe as had helped to paint a picture of the complex previously been believed. and fascinating story of human origins.
