It’s the femur, which is the thigh bone, that caused so much ink to flow out. This is actually the property of Thomas, the first by humans. 20 years after it was discovered in the Chadian desert, analysis of this fragment of the skeleton finally took place. In Episode 93, Sixth Science, L.JScience podcast from Science and the future And the 20 minutes, It reveals the underside of this business.
years of controversy
At the microphone is Rachel Molott, a journalist specializing in paleontological topics at Science and the future Answers questions from Romain Gouloumès 20 minutes And he tells you how scientists can now tell that seven million years ago, Toma was standing on the ground and in trees while occasionally moving on four legs.
Debate has swirled over the way these primates move for years. A recent study By French authors (CNRS and University of Poitiers) and Chadian authors published in the prestigious journal nature This time he points out that his gait was very different from that of a gorilla and that Toma could be a harbinger of the human line.
Great ape ancestor?
“Our study reinforces the idea of bipedalism acquired very early in our history but still related to the possibility of four-limb locomotion in trees.“, specify the researchers interviewed by the journalist. For this work, precise measurements were made by microimaging, and bone fragments were analyzed from every angle. But the story may not have ended because other specialists – such as one of Yves’ partners Michel Brunet Coppins, the discoverer of the femur, believe Thomas was more the ancestor of a great ape than the first pre-human.
While waiting for the end of this controversy, you will no doubt have time to re-read the entire article several times in an issue Science and the future dated october, or to rediscover all articles related to tomai on the site Science and the future. You can too Consult the complete archives of Sixth Science And sign up for free on Apple Podcast.
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