There is a piece in today's 'Daily Mail', which claims that new evidence suggests that man did not evolve on the African continent, but rather in Asia.
Very thought-provoking. If I can find a link, I'll post it.
Love,
Patsy.
[sm=flylicker.gif]
RE: Evolution of Man
I read this too Patsy and it was interesting. They found evidence in Pakistan apparently that possibly points to human life beginning there. Makes you wonder what else they will find in the years to come and where?
Love Gillyxxx
RE: Evolution of Man
Unfortunately the Article in the Daily Mail;
'Man, how could we have been so wrong', leaves much out and that which it contains is mis-leading, I assume not deliberately.
Dr Marivaux is known for his discovery in the Bugti Hills of Balochistan, Pakistan of a new genus and species of Lemur: Bugtilemur mathesoni. Lemurs are nowadays found only in the island of Madagascar, and until his find were supposed to have originated in mainland Africa. At the time of Bugtilemur, (late Eocene, Oligocene) 30 Million years ago, both Africa and India were separate island masses moving to collisions with Europe and Asia respectively.
Anthropoids (humans, apes and monkeys) evolved from the 'prosimian' (premonkey) stem. The prosimian stem is extant in lemurs and tarsiers.
The fossil record for the Prosimians dates from the early Cenozoic Era about 60 million years ago and are thought to have evolved from small insectivores resembling the Asian tree shrew. About 30 million years ago, the Oligocene era, the prosimians gave rise to three primate groups: the New World monkeys, the Old World monkeys, and primitive apelike hominoids.
It is not clear from the article whether or not Dr Marivaux is referring to more recent fossil discoveries, as the web sources I have found all refer to fragmentary fossils, teeth etc of the Eocene/Oligocene period and relate to lemur taxa.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000C40B4-F42A-1C63-B882809EC588ED9F
does however refer to:
'The Bugti Hills site has yielded several other primate speciesincluding members of the group that gave rise to monkeys and apes', so perhaps the article refers to later work than the 2001 dig, there reported.
Leo
RE: Evolution of Man
Thanks for that, Leo. It sheds more light on a very intriguing subject. Like Gilly says, I think that the study of where man actually evolved will continue for many years.
I personally believe that there was no 'one man', but many, many 'men' who evolved in different places across the world. This is what gave us our skin colours and types, and may explain how man has been found in all continents. Several species of man walking across continents doesn't really 'fit' with my model.
I am sure that there will be more discoveries.
Love,
Patsy.
xxxxxx
RE: Evolution of Man
Patsy, you have hit the exact concept I have been worriting about for yonks;) I don't see how several species of man walk across continents either, even given millions of years??? IMHO they may find conclusively at some point that human life began in several different places - triggered by what? we don't know, it's all a little bit like 2001 - A Space Oddessy;)
Love Gillyxxxx