Donald Johanson argues that Neanderthals have roots in … – Journal of León

L. Sierra | burgos 09/14/2014

The American paleontropólogo Donald Johanson in Burgos said yesterday that the Neanderthal species has a “deep roots” in northern Spain ‘thanks to photography “that offers the Sierra de Atapuerca in the study of human evolution.

Johanson moved to the Museum of Human Evolution for the exposure The Cradle of Humanity which houses the Museum of Burgos. A special visit as “the father of Lucy” is one of the key names delos Olduvai (Tanzania), which focus much of the show opened earlier this year in the central part of the Complex of Human Evolution.

Professor Johanson, who visited in September 2009 and MEH Atapuerca first, wanted to repeat with a team of the prestigious magazine National Geographic. Together the team Post attended this morning a visit to the Atapuerca, which said “fascinated” by their “importance”.

“The deposits are fascinating. You see so much information and so many layers that is the best picture of human evolution in Europe “, said the discoverer. His fascination with the Burgos saw led him to propose an exchange of replicas of the museum where he works with MEH. One issue that said, has spoken with the scientific director of the MEH, Juan Luis Arsuaga, while visiting the sites.

Collaboration

One of the most outstanding figures in the history of Olduvai said “Arsuaga and I agreed to partner and raise a collaborative relationship” between Burgos and Johanson institute that works in the United States. “It is a first step to initiate closer collaboration,” he said. Donald Johanson and members of National Geographic have referred the fossils found in the deposits of the Sierra de Atapuerca, in the hands of Juan Luis Arsuaga. One of the most shocking moments have occurred when the “father of Lucy” has come to greet the replica of hominid hominids Gallery. It is one of nine hyper-realistic sculptures by French sculptor Elisabeth Dayness.

The father of Lucy

The Lucy skeleton was found on 24 November 1974 during an anthropological mission led by Johanson in Ethiopia. The finding allowed to try for the first time that the ancestors of man could walk upright 3.2 million years ago.

In fact, Johansson was considered important because Olduvai “has been a training ground for many paleotólogos ‘. “There is still much to be discovered in Olduvai” declared the prestigious scientist.

The Olduvai Gorge is known as the Cradle of Humankind and one territory when the region of the planet where they are represented the most important stages of human evolution, from 2 million years ago to the present. There the first representative of the genus Homo, Homo habilis was discovered, and there also excavated legendary figures like the saga of the Leakey.

Johanson’s visit marks another step in the goal of internationalization of the Museum in its aim of becoming a reference and meeting place for the leading scientists of the international scene. A clear example was shown during the recent World Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences Burgos held in the first week of September, the most important worldwide and brought together top scientists and professionals, who visited the MEH and Atapuerca during the Congress.