Dave Taylor's African Safari: The Missing Factor: Human Beings - 1.5 Million Years Ago

The Missing Factor: Human Beings
1.5 Million Years Ago
Page 3

Faulting and earth movements caused the ancient lake to drain about 1.5 million years ago. A river still flowed through the area and supplied water for the herds. A riverine forest grew on its bank. This period is recorded in the upper parts of Bed II.

The surrounding area was open savanna. Species of animals included a giant form of gelada baboons, giant pigs, and a huge buffalo-like animal (Pelorovis). A. boisei still lived in the area but H. habilus disappears from the fossil record.

The buffalo-like Pelorovis found in Bed II had sweeping horns that were at least 3 meters (3 yards) long in life. One set of fossil remains from this species showed clear signs of having been butchered. Wasted flakes and stone tools surrounded the fossil bones, many of which had been shattered to get to the marrow.

A new species, Homo erectus appears shortly after H. habilus. H. erectus' tool kit was more developed and had better crafted stone axes. It wasn't long after H. erectus' appearance that A. boisei vanishes from the record. Did one species out compete the other? This is a possibility.

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