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The researchers said they had studied parts of the perfectly preserved fossil with a synchrotron (a particle accelerating ring). Not only did they learn more about the biological characteristics of the small-legged species, but they also saw the difficulties this adult woman faced in life.
The small feet had the features of monkeys and humans, they are considered possible ancestors of humans. The fossil was discovered in the Sterkfonten Caves in the 1990s, northwest of Johannesburg. Scientists named this species Australopithecus prometheus.
“This fossil reveals a lot about the life of ancient ancestors. We are not saying that little feet are the direct ancestors of modern people, but they are really related, they are very close relatives of our ancestors, ”says Ron Clarke, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Whitewater.
The small-legged skull was studied in Oxfordshire, where Britain has a synchrotron, a ring particle accelerator. In it, the magnetic field required to rotate the charged particles and the electric field required to accelerate the particles are precisely synchronized with the particle beam traveling in it.
Electrons are accelerated to nearly the speed of light before emitting 10 billion times more light than sunlight, and then they are headed to labs, allowing scientists to study fossils with X-rays without damaging the fossils. Scientists are now studying the arch of the small skull and the lower jaw.
“By studying the small-legged fossil, we obtained new data on how we evolved more than 3 million years ago. Now we know the essential: we come from Africa, the first people appeared in Africa. We simply do not yet know where, when it arose and who our direct ancestors were. Due to the age of the little foot and the fact that the fossil is well preserved, we think we will get more answers, ”says Amelie Beaudet, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Cambridge.
The exact age of the little foot has not yet been determined. Tiny feet, as the nickname suggests, are tiny feet. Fossil feet are one of the first skeletal parts to be found at about 130 cm in height.
Our Homo sapiens ancestors originated about 300,000 years ago. Small feet have previously been studied with a synchrotron. Representatives of this species were able to walk on two legs, on the other hand, some indications suggest that they climbed trees, perhaps sleeping in them, protecting themselves from predators. The faces of the little feet were like those of a gorilla, they had strong hands with which to climb easily. His legs were longer than his hands, like modern people.
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