Our closest extant relatives the gorillas and chimpanzees developed a flexed stance (with clinograde, (sloping) vertebral column) and are more adapted to tree climbing and to quadrupedal locomotion while on the ground. The geological record at the Fayum Depression, Egypt, includes fossils dating from around 37 to 29 million years ago. This date is markedly different from those derived using the molecular clock approach, but has found general acceptance among paleoanthropologists. This repository will serve as a visual assist in the recognition of the type specimens for students just beginning their life-long interest in our fossil ancestors. is a postulated early species of . “ Orrorin ” means “original man” in the Tugen dialect, and “ tugenensis ” pays tribute to the Tugen Hills region. The specimen is nicknamed “Millenium Man” and is dated to around 6 Ma. Fossil femora excavated in Kenya and attributed to Orrorin tugenensis, at 6 million years ago, purportedly provide the earliest postcranial evidence of hominin bipedalism, but … The proximal femur of O. tugenensis exhibits morphology consistent with bipedalism (e.g. ... Identify the features of the pre-australopithecine Orrorin tugenensis. They date to between 6.1 and 5.8 mya and are therefore of Miocene age. Funding for eFossils was provided by the Longhorn Innovation Fund for Technology (LIFT) Award from the Research & Educational Technology Committee (R&E) of the IT governance structure at The University of Texas at Austin. How did bipedalism originate? The type specimen for O. tugenensis, BAR 1000’00, was found at Tugen Hills and dates to approximately 6 million years ago. Nicknamed “Millenium Man” due to its timely discovery, the fossils were dated to ~6 mya and given the taxonomic classification, Orrorin tugenensis (“original man from the Tugen hills”). Alternative combination: Orrorin tugenensis Belongs to Praeanthropus according to C. J. Cela-Conde and F. J. Ayala 2003. Individuals of this species were approximately the size of a chimpanzee and had small teeth with thick enamel, similar to modern humans. The next oldest hominid appears to be the 6-million-year-old Orrorin tugenensis, found two years ago in Kenya but not yet fully accepted by many scientists. [4], Sahelanthropus tchadensis • Orrorin tugenensis • Ardipithecus • Kenyanthropus platyops, Australopithecus: A. anamensis • A. afarensis • A. bahrelghazali • A. africanus • A. garhi Additionally, its femoral head is larger in comparison to Australopithicines and is much closer in shape and relative size to Homo sapiens. Some anthropologists consider O. tugenensis a basal hominin that is ancestral to modern humans and unrelated to australopithecines. Bipedalism is a key human adaptation and a defining feature of the hominin clade. [Haviland et al. Of the fossils assigned to O. tugenensis… Tugen Hills, Kenya BAR 1000’00 is the type specimen for Orrorin tugenensis, and was discovered by Kiptalam Cheboi on October 25, 2000 in Tugen Hills, Kenya. The name was given by Brigitte Senut and Martin Pickford, who found … Thus, the origins of bipedalism occurred in an arboreal precursor living in forest and not a quadrupedal ancestor living in open country. Living around 6 million years ago, Orrorin tugenensis is the one of the oldest early humans on our family tree. 2001).. The main similarity is that the Orrorin femur is morphologically closer to that of H. sapiens than is Lucy's; there is, however, some debate over this point. Lake and river sediments where the fossils were found have been consistently dated at … Age. 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