Lucy, one of the most famous hominid world, probably died after falling from a tree, as concluded a group of scientists from the University of Texas in a study published in the journal Nature .
the scientists found in their fossil remains several broken bones that are very similar to the human suffering injuries after falling from great heights. This has been interpreted as evidence that, as members of the species Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy lived in trees, a matter so far discussed among experts.
Lucy lived makes 3.18 million years in the Afar region in present-day Ethiopia, where their fossils were discovered in 1974 by US researchers, who christened the skeleton inspired by the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.
the remains are among the oldest and most complete found a hominid, but scientifically is still debating whether the current man really comes from Australopithecus afarensis or other species. About 40% of the Lucy skeleton has been maintained.
It is known that measured more than a meter long and weighed less than 30 kilograms. Under the constitution of the skeleton experts assume that could walk upright on the floor on two legs, but so far it remains uncertain whether she and her contemporaries also lived in trees.
The team led by John Kappelman, of the University of Texas at Austin, studied in detail the fossil and CT scans and found fractures in many bones as the humerus or femur, scapula, pelvis and a rib. Researchers are convinced that these fractures occurred over millions of years after his death that have passed, but they were the cause of it, as they are very similar to those suffered by current patients after suffering falls.
on the right humerus researchers found, for example, numerous edges sharp and clean fractures with small fragments of splintered bones that were still in place, something unique in a fossil. If fractures have occurred after death it would be logical that had been scattered fragments, claim.
Also in other bones similar injuries that point to a strong blow they found, they say.
the researchers believe that Lucy fell from a tree, fully aware, and hit the ground hard. Apparently it would have fallen on his feet and then forward, when tried, with arms outstretched, mitigate the fall. But then he hit throughout its length.
When making comparisons with chimpanzees, experts calculated that fell from a height of 12 meters, which also caused serious internal injuries that led quickly to his death.
From previous research it was known that in the place where the fossilized skeleton was found there were trees in the days when Lucy lived, say the researchers. Scientists believe that Lucy was looking for food and overnight shelter in trees and lived both on the ground and in the trees, which could be his undoing. Because the body adaptations necessary to enable it to walk upright on the floor would have probably limited their climbing skills.
“It is ironic that the fossil that focuses the debate on the role of life in the trees in human evolution perhaps died of wounds caused by falling from a tree, “says Kappelman in a press release from the university. “Upon learning for the first time the dimension of the numerous wounds Lucy, his image comes before my eyes (…) and I overcomes a wave of empathy,” he adds.
“Lucy was not only a lot of whole bones, but in death becomes a real individual. a small mangled body was helpless at the foot of a tree “
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