Scientific Methods

Thursday, April 13, 2006

A LIVING HOMO FLORESIENSIS WERE TO BE FOUND WOULD THEY GO TO A SCHOOL OR A ZOO?

Abstract

 

The migration of Homo sapiens from Asia to Australia influences the evolution of a new species called H. floresiensis. (1)

 

Homo floresiensis is a species in the genus Homo. It has small body, small brain, and survived for about 13, 00 years ago, as modern human. They are the early human who live in the island. They resemble Homo erectus, which was a species of human that populated Asia and Africa from about 1.8 to 0.2 million years ago. (2)

 

 

H. erectus thought to be the immediate ancestor of H.floresiensis and almost have the same size as modern humans. In the limited food environment on the Flores, H. erectus is thought to have undergone strong island dwarfing, a form of speciation also seen on Flores in several species, including a dwarf Stegodon. (1)

 

Dwarfing of H. Floresiensis was influenced by environmental condition, which favoured small body size species. Mostly, island offer limited food supply, few predators competing for the same niche and survival depends on energy minimisation. These have an impact on the H. erectus as they were living in the island and automatically lead to the evolution of H. floresiensis. Due to climate adaptation H. erectus changes to H. floresiensis in their body structure, but does not change the advanced skills and knowledge they inherit from H. erectus and H sapiens. (1)

 

 

If H. floresiensis were still surviving to day; it would go to school rather than zoo. This is due to the fact that it has the skill like modern human, and its small body structure, small brains and a mixture of primitive does not make it suitable for the species to live in a zoo.(1)

 

 

 H. floresiensis was discovered between the Homo erectus and Homo sapiens and shares the same character with human. This brings the idea that this species can do what ever human can do if it was living to day. H. floresiensis use fire for cooking and able to hunt species such as stegodon and primitive dwarf elephant for survival. They use joint communication and planning during hunting, which is relatively the same to modern human. Most important could be H. floresiensis share the same diet as human; they ate fish, tortoise, birds, rodents, frogs and snakes. (1)

 

 

These mean that if H. floresiensis were to be found today it would go to school depending on the surrounding environment. This live us with question about human evolution as we don’t know as to whether we are still evolving or not, but this shows that the speciation and adaptation can also influence human evolution. It was suggested that humans are more subject to evolutionary forces than we tend to think. Human evolution is unknown, and this suggests that there could be other surprises waiting in the human family tree. (2)

 

 

Reference:

 

1. Mayell.H. (2004) hobbit-like human ancestor found in Asia

[Online].Accessed:http://seabed.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/forum2.tmpl?issue_id=20050401&forum_index=1&start=0 [2006-April-11]

 

2.  Moreno.N. Homo floresiensis  

[Online].Accessed:http://www.bioedonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?tk=23           [2006-   April-11]

 

3. [Online].Accessed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution [2006-April-11]

 

 

 

Mr Elelwani Muanalo
CSIR Pretoria
NISL- Ecological Informatics Student
P.O. Box 395
Pretoria, 0001
Tel: +27 12 841 2133
Fax: +27 12 842 7024.
cell: +27 82 573 8678
email: emuanalo@csir.co.za
my bloger url: http://muanalo.blogspot.com

 

3 MILLION YEARS AGO, AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS AND LUCY HAD VANISHED

ABSTRACT

By the three million years ago, the world Lucy and Australopithecus afarensis had vanished. This was happened due to earth climate change. During this period earths became cooling. Temperature in Africa change and the earth stripped of moisture. This cause the disturbance in the environment.

SPINNING AROUND
The earth orbits around the sun, known as the axis of rotation. During three million years ago axis was changing. So the earth pointed away from the sun for a longer period which causes the overall cooling of earth, locking away moisture in ice at the North and South Poles. It also made the climate more seasonal and the earth dried out. The cause of this environmental upheaval was to be found in space. As our planet spins, it points towards the Sun at some times and away from it . This is the origin of the seasons on Earth.

DIETARY DILEMMA

In Africa some animals that relied on forest died out because it was too dry. For example, during this period the Australopithecus Afarensis and Lucy had disappeared because this species fail survive in that situation. This species died as they were relied on forest. But other species evolved by explore ding different dietary sources that were available in that time. For example, many evolved physical adaptations to graze on the new species of plant life called grass that colonised the deforested terrain. Wildlife in Africa diversified as new animal species evolved to exploit different sources of food in a new mosaic of environments.
The same seems to have happened to our ancestors, who had previously relied on forest foods such as soft fruit. After three million years, new ape-men were springing up all over the continent.
Humid woodland shrivelled away, leaving wide belts of open terrain in its place. During this time species such as Paranthropus Boisei developed an enormous jaw with huge back teeth to grind down the tough plants food,  Forces were transforming the earth climate with devastating consequences for the African landscape.
Although Australopithecus Afarensis lived in eastern Africa, No tools of any kind have been found with A. Afarensis. During 3 million years ago Australopithecus Afarensis evolved in australopithecines. A. Afarensis possessed a brain similar to predecessor. The sizes of chewing teeth remain large.By 2.8 million years, humid woodland had shrivelled away, leaving wide belts of open terrain in its place.

The cause of this environmental upheaval was to be found in space. The Earth orbits the Sun at a slight tilt, known as the axis of rotation. This means that as our planet spins, it points towards the Sun at some times and away from it at others. This is the origin of the seasons on Earth.

 
Linette Netshiheni
CSIR Pretoria
0001
Cell: 0820446442
Tell: 012 841 2133
Fax: 012 842 3676
tnetshiheni@csir.co.za
Weblog: http://tnesthiheni.blogspot.com/

CONGRATULATIONS ANNAMARIE

I think Annamarie should be congratulated - her Blog MaryPoppins
http://www.marypoppins.iblog.co.za/ is the most popular Blog on the
iblog site! See http://www.iblog.co.za. We are very proud of you and
this achievement - well done!

Enjoy the Easter Holidays

ps Easter is actually a Pagan Tradition, but I will keep that until
next week!

Rich

Dr Richard Knight
Co-ordinator: National Information Society Learnerships - Ecological
Informatics
Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17
Bellville 7535

Phone 27 + 21 + 959 3940
Fax 27 + 21 + 959 1237

Email Rknight@uwc.ac.za

Web http://nisl.uwc.ac.za

KENTYANTHROPUS PLATYOPS

ABSTRACT:

Most interpretations of early hominin phylogeny recognise a single early to middle Pliocene ancestral lineage; this is represented best by Australopithecus afarensis because it gives rise to a radiation of taxa in the Pliocene. This was reported in relation of the new fossil discovered west of Lake Turkana.

A 3.5 million year old cranium, showing a unique combination of derived facial and primitive neurocranial features is assigned to a new genus of hominin. These findings point to an early diet-driven adaptive radiation, provide new insight on the association of hominin craniodental features, and have implications for our understanding of Plio-Pleistocene hominin phylogeny.


The skull was named Kenyanthropus platyops, which means flat-faced, was found in Kenya. Over the decades, one supposed ape-man after another has been presented to the public with great confidence as being ancestral to humans-only to quietly drop off the tree later. Each time, humanists have been gloating, some Christians have been panicking and the media buzzing.


The dropping off of the tree usually happens because of new information, based on careful analysis by trained anatomists which gradually accumulates to the point where the original claim can no longer be sustained. Scientists believe that the discovery has raised more questions than answered and now we have confusion on knowing with certainty who our earliest ancestor is.


We have always assumed Lucy as our ancestor and how we need to re-evaluate that idea. In the absence of any other fossil in the time between about 3.8 million and three million years ago, the only possible human ancestor that could be claimed was Australopithecus afarensis. Now that we have a new form of early hominid from the same period that is quite distinct from afarensis, the anthropologists will have to decide which of these forms of early human actually lies in our ancestral tree it cannot be both it can be either Kenyanthropus or Australopithecus.


References

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/wt40000.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/03/0320_leakeyfind.html


Dianah Nangammbi Cilla CSIR P.O Box 395 Pretoria 0001 Email:
dnangammbi@csir.co.za Tel: +27 12 841 2133 Cell: +27 73 121 3589 Website: www.csir.co.za

OUT OF AFRICA HYPOTHESIS

OUT OF AFRICA HYPOTHESIS
ABSTRACT


Out of Africa hypothesis asserts that modern humans evolved relatively recently in Africa, migrated into Eurasia and replaced all populations which had descended from Homo erectus. It is difficult to understand the out of Africa hypothesis. There are lot of questions that people have in mind. Like why the Homo erectus migrates out of Africa? Why is mankind split into distinct racial types?


Through genetic evidence, lot of questions have been answered. It was shown that every living human being is descended from a small group in Africa, who the moved to the other parts of the world displacing earlier forms such as Neanderthal. Beside the African eve hypothesis there is the multi-regional hypothesis which recently disagree with the African eve hypothesis. The multi regional hypothesis suggests that, modern humans evolved from outdated forms (such as Neanderthal and Homo erectus) con-concurrently in different regions of the world. This hypothesis is supported by physical evidence, such as the continuation of morphological characteristics between ancient and modern humans.


Researchers therefore reason that all living humans descend from Africans, some of whom migrated out of Africa to populate the rest of the world. If the mitochondrial analysis is correct, then because mitochondrial Eve represents the root of the mitochondrial family tree, she must have predated the exodus and lived in Africa. Based on mitochondrial evidence, many researchers support the Out-of-Africa model. One finding not subject to interpretation is that the greatest diversity of mitochondrial DNA sequences exists among Africans. This diversity would not have accumulated, researchers argue, if humans had not been living longer in Africa than anywhere else. Analysis of Y chromosome sequences have corroborated the evidence that mitochondrial DNA has provided for an African origin for hominids.


Are humans originated in Africa and is there enough evidence? I think that based on the majority of anatomical, archaeological and genetic evidence we can conclude that the best explanation for the beginning of modern humans is the out of Africa that postulates a single, African origin for Homo sapiens.


Reference:


1. [online] accessed:
http://www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/johanson.html [2006-April-13:14h00]

Mr Lufuno MukwevhoCSIR PretoriaP.O. Box 395Pretoria, 0001Tel: (012) 841 2133Fax: 012 842 7024.cell: 0723175626email:
lmukwevho@csir.co.za my bloger url: http://mukwevholufuno.blogspot.com


SUMMARY VIDEO OF A ELEGANT UNIVERSE

Introduction
The video is talk about how the universe works. Different scientist explained their theories on how universe work. Different scientist was coming up with their findings of how universe work. Isaac Newton, Albert Estein, Niels Borh, are explain how the universe function. The force of gravity, nuclear and weak forces, and electromagnetism were used to explain how the universe works. The scientist combined all the forces together to find the solution.

Isaac Newton
He came with his 3 laws. He explains that, there is pulling force and pushing force. Newton also explain that, the pull force all the particles towards the centre of the earth. He also gave us examples, trees fall because of two forces called pulling force and pushing force acting on the apple.
Green from Columbia. He said that, if light travels in high speed, gravitational disturbance will form the waves.
Maxwell
He came up with the theory of electromagnetic force. He said that when the light is moving, it creates dots and dash. Then gravity, electromagnetism and string were combined to form equation.
Albert Estein
He explained that, everything in the universe is made up by strings. But Professor Steven said that, these strings vibrate in order to make all the constituents of nature. That is were the string theory began.
Nima Arkani
He was from Harvard University. During 1939 he said that, the gravity and electromagnetism are not the only one who describes how the universe works. For examples nuclear force and weak force are the other forces that describe how the universe works. He also said that, nuclear forces it consist of protons and neutrons.
Micheal Green
He explains the theory of quantum mechanics theory. He said that, the universe is formed as a result of big bang; as a result the universe became small

Niels Bohr disagrees with Newton and Estein theory. He about the elements called atoms. Bohr came with a theory of quantum mechanics which explain the descriptions of how the universe works.



 
 
Linette Netshiheni
CSIR Pretoria
0001
Cell: 0820446442
Tell: 012 841 2133
Fax: 012 842 3676
tnetshiheni@csir.co.za
Weblog: http//:tnetshiheni.blogspot.com

SUMMARY OF ELEGANT UNIVERSE

The theory of how the universe work was the serious problem to scientists. Long time ago scientists were struggling to find the theory that can clearly indicate how the universe works. Some scientists tried to come up with their theories to understand the universe. The theories of these scientists conflict from each other. Scientists who were involved in formulating their theories include Niels Bohr, Isaac Newton and Albert Eistein. It was hard to understand the relationship between the planets for examples Earth, Mars and Jupiter. Each scientist discovered forces to understand how the universe works. Forces include weak, gravity, electro magnetism and nuclear. They tried to join their forces in order to come up with better results.Isaac Newton used the apple from the apple tree to explain the pulling, pushing forces and force of gravity. Both pulling and pushing forces were acting on the apple. Hence force of gravity pulled the apple down towards the centre of the Earth. The apple did not go up due to the power of force of gravity had to pull an apple.Newton also indicated that light runs faster than everything. According to Maxwell when light is traveling it produce waves. Electricity and magnetism are closely related. The relationship between the two was determined using mathematical language. There is a difference in strength between the speed of gravity and electro magnetism. Electro magnetisms are stronger than gravity. Everything has to do with magnetism and electricity. He came up with the theory of quantum mechanics. He used dice to determine the probability of the outcome. Dice proved that the world is a place of chance.In 1930s, Nima Arkani has discovered that gravity and electromagnetism are not the only forces which are strong. The other forces include the nuclear which consists of protons and neutrons and the weak force. In 1933, Michael explained the theory of quantum mechanics theory and indicated that the universe is formed as a result of the big bang.In 1968 scientists searched the equation that explains the strong nuclear force. Brian found the equation with hundred years to describe the string theory. The equation was B (p.q) = rp (q)/ r (p+q)However the equation was criticized by other scientists. Brain said the force of nature can be explained by the small particles.In 1973 scientists continued to wrestle to find an equation. Mars less particles were anomalies. The theory said that x/2 =2 and x/2=1. These indicate that the equation is anomalies because it does not produce the same equations.In 1984, the theory of everything was questioned. Anything in the world is made up of tiny particles. The quantum mechanic was protected because there was no experiment and observation to show that the scientists were wrong. In 1985 string theory was used. It was also proved to be a theory of everything. Nobody proved the big bang. Maybe if they would try to prove this theory, they would gain more knowledge about how the universe works.


Masiya KediboneCSIR Pretoria0001Cell No : 073 2519071Tel No: 012 8412123Fax : 012 842 3676E-mail :kmasiya@csir.co.zaweblog:
http://kedimasiya.blogspot.com/

WHEN DID HOMINIDS CONTROL FIRE?

Throughout history fire has been crucial to the development of man. If we assume that at some point of time in history primitive human forms had no fire then, when did man start taming this beast? The answer to this is still unclear but what is known is that early hominids had to have encountered fires, which resulted from natural causes. The problem with proving when exactly hominids started using fire lies in the availability of concrete evidence that will support early use of fire by hominids as it is very often not possible to tell from the available evidence whether a fire resulted through natural events or anthropogenic interference. What confounds scientists even more is exactly how early hominids came to gain control of fire.

Up until very recently it was believed that hominids first began handling and controlling fires between 400 000 and 500 000 years ago as very good evidence for hearths which date back from this time period exist (1). This perspective has however changed more recently and some scientists now believe hominids started using fire 1.5 million years ago as new evidence relating to this time period, has been found at several different sites in Africa, Asia, Europe and the near East (2). The direct ancestor of modern humans, Homo erectus, is considered as being the first hominid to have controlled fire as this species lived from about 1.6 million to 300,000 years ago (3). This time period coincides with that of most of the evidence found, many of which include bones from this species.

The exact time when fire was first used is still under considerable debate as much of the evidence which suggests an early date for the advent of anthropogenic fires is inconclusive.
Types of evidence which suggest the presence of fire over an area at some point in the past include: burned deposits, hearths, fire-cracked rock, reddened areas, baked clay, ash, charcoal, fire-hardened wood, burned lithics, burned bone, and burned shell. All of these do however not always indicate the presence of an anthropogenic fire (4). According to James (1989), the presence of one of these types of evidence in an area may more likely indicate a fire resulting from natural causes while a combination of several types of evidence may indicate fires caused anthropogenically (2).

Whatever the time period, at which hominids gained control over fire, it is crucial to keep in mind that the advent of fire would ultimately be one of the most crucial aspects in the success of the hominid species and by controlling fire they would set themselves apart from on other living species. Fire would have allowed hominids to live in caves, provide protection against predators, enable them to cook food, stay warm during winter and possibly aid in improving their weapons. It may also have been crucial in their migration northwards to Europe, this is however only speculation (1).

These are some of the most controversial issues surrounding the first anthropogenic use of fire. This research will examine the body of evidence avaiable for first use of fire by hominids by considering how and when hominids came to control fire. It will also examine the accuracy of data suurounding the topic as well as give an account of the role fire played in the success and evolution of the hominid species.


References:

(1) http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=931

(2) James SR (1989) Hominid use of fire in the middle and lower Pleistocene: A review of the evidence. Current Anthropology 30(1): 1-26

(3) http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_n24_v134/ai_6924560/

(4) Hamm K (2005) Evidence of Anthropogenic Fire, its Uses and Roles in Human Adaptability, http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/bindon/ant475/Papers/Hamm.pdf

Bevan Van Blommestein
Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17

Email: 2320169@uwc.ac.za

Blog:http://Abowlofsoup.iblog.co.za

ABSTRACT ON HOW HUMANS ALMOST BECAME EXTINCT

Ever wonder if humans only left Africa fairly recently why don't we all look more African? Also, when you look at humans from a genetic point of view we are very similar suggesting that some time in the past our numbers and therefore genetic diversity was greatly reduced by some global catastrophe. Professor Stanley Ambrose, an anthropologist working at the University Of Illinois believes that he has the answer.

According to him the largest volcanic eruption occurred about 71 000 - 73 000 years ago in Sumatra, Indonesia (1). It has been called the "Toba eruption" and its end product was a volcanic winter that lasted 6 years (proceeded by a 1000 year long uber-ice age) that almost wiped mankind off the face of the Earth (1, 2). Studies have shown that Toba ejaculated about 1015 g of ash and H2SO4 aerosols that dispersed into the stratosphere and across the globe (2). The aerosol cloud blocked out the Sun, which meant that there was a rapid drop in temperatures (by as much as 15 degrees Celcius regionally and more than 5 degrees globally) (2). It is believed (by those who study human genetics) that the effects that the Toba eruption had on the climate also had dramatic effects on the human population of the time (1, 2). It caused the population to undergo a dramatic decrease in numbers falling to about 10 000 adults (2). These humans survived in small isolated, tropical settlements in Africa and Eurasia (1, 2). The humans living in Europe and China would have been totally wiped out by the drop in temperature (1). This separation and isolation resulted in the surviving humans undergoing genetic drift and local adaptations and thus racial differentiation was born (1, 2). So hypothetically, the Mount Toba eruption may have caused modern races to have formed swiftly (70000 years ago) instead of progressively over one million as previously thought (1). Studies have also shown that many other species also underwent a population bottleneck, which would have also contributed to the drop in human population (no plants + no animals = no food and no clothes). The rapid drop in temperature hit tropical plants the worst as they were use to warm and wet conditions. There were severe droughts in the tropical rainforest and monsoon regions. After the bottleneck there was a rapid increases in numbers as conditions and technology improved (1, 2). This prompted more migrations to occur (2).

For a long time scientists have suspected that the human population had undergone a bottleneck but could not figure out how or why (3). The Toba eruption hypothesis provides an answer. The evidence for these climatic changes can still be found in coral reefs and ice cores (3).

On average the Earth experiences a volcanic winter due to a super-eruption (by super I mean global killer) every 50 000 and since the last one (mount Toba) occurred 73 000 years ago it means that we are 23 000 years overdue (I guess mother Earth didn't get the memo). This figure is an estimate based on past data and geological events so scientists cant say for sure when it will happen but chances are if the Earth continues to function the way it has for 4.5 billion years then its definitely going to happen again and maybe this time we won't be so lucky.

References

1. Ambrose SH (1998) Late Pleistocene human population bottlenecks, volcanic winter, and differentiation of modern humans. J Hum. Evol. 34:623-651

2. Rampino MR, Ambrose MH (1999) Volcanic Winter in the Garden of Eden: The Toba super-eruption and the Late Pleistocene human population crash. World Archeological Congress.

3. www.sciencedaily.com/news.earth_climate



 
 
Bradley Flynn
 
Department of biodiversity and conservation biology
University of the Western Cape
private bag X17
 
 
contact number: 083 380 2036
 

OUT OF AFRICA HYPOTHESIS

ABSTRACT

Out of Africa hypothesis asserts that modern humans evolved relatively recently in Africa, migrated into Eurasia and replaced all populations which had descended from Homo erectus.

It is difficult to understand the out of Africa hypothesis. There are lot of questions that people have in mind. Like why the Homo erectus migrates out of Africa? Why is mankind split into distinct racial types? Through genetic evidence, lot of questions have been answered. It was shown that every living human being is descended from a small group in Africa, who the moved to the other parts of the world displacing earlier forms such as Neanderthal.

Beside the African eve hypothesis there is the multi-regional hypothesis which recently disagree with the African eve hypothesis. The multi regional hypothesis suggests that, modern humans evolved from outdated forms (such as Neanderthal and Homo erectus) con-concurrently in different regions of the world. This hypothesis is supported by physical evidence, such as the continuation of morphological characteristics between ancient and modern humans.

Researchers therefore reason that all living humans descend from Africans, some of whom migrated out of Africa to populate the rest of the world. If the mitochondrial analysis is correct, then because mitochondrial Eve represents the root of the mitochondrial family tree, she must have predated the exodus and lived in Africa.

Based on mitochondrial evidence, many researchers support the Out-of-Africa model. One finding not subject to interpretation is that the greatest diversity of mitochondrial DNA sequences exists among Africans. This diversity would not have accumulated, researchers argue, if humans had not been living longer in Africa than anywhere else. Analysis of Y chromosome sequences have corroborated the evidence that mitochondrial DNA has provided for an African origin for hominids.

Are humans originated in Africa and is there enough evidence? I think that based on the majority of anatomical, archaeological and genetic evidence we can conclude that the best explanation for the beginning of modern humans is the out of Africa that postulates a single, African origin for Homo sapiens.

Mr Lufuno MukwevhoCSIR PretoriaP.O. Box 395Pretoria, 0001Tel: (012) 841 2133Fax: 012 842 7024.cell: 0723175626email: lmukwevho@csir.co.za my bloger url: http://mukwevholufuno.blogspot.com

WHO WAS THE FIRST EARLIST TOOLMAKER?

Abstract

Hominids appeared in the planet about 3.5 million year ago. Radiometic dating indicates that hominids are first appeared in the planet. Scientist believed that hominids selected specific materials to make their tools. A large quartzite cobbles which are harder are the good rocks that were used to made tools because they are harder to work. According to the scientists, the earliest stone tool appeared in the fossil recorded around 2.6 million years ago. These tools were used for cutting and scraping as well as killing other animals. There are different types of stone technologies. Namely: Oldowan, Acheulean, Mousterian assembly and the early Perigordian and Avrigncian industries. The scientists suggested that the tool that was used by the earliest hominids were found at these industries. The following different types of stones toolmakings such as; flakes; cores; Acheulian; and oldowan tools were used by early human ancestors to kill other animals. The scientists did not agree about who was the earliest toolmaker. They were not so sure which one was the first toolmaker. Darwin suggest that hominids who had freed up hands and walked in two feet would be able to used tools because many of them were a meat eater. They were feeding themselves by hunting and killing other animals. Benjamin Frackin believed that man was the toolmaker. Human was walking with two feet and was a master hunters, it was easy for them to run after their pray. Human also made tools in order to protect themselves from being killed by their enemy such as lions etc. Sileshi Seman said that he found the worlds earliest stone tool about 2.5 million year ago at north of middle Awash at Gona area. Seman and his colloquies were not so sure who made these earliest toolmaker, they believed that human ancestors made these tools. They identify Australopithecus garhi as a best toolmaker. Louis Leakey believed that the origin of Homo related to the development of toolmaking such as stone tools. Leakey also believed that stone tools found at the Olduvia Gorge belong to the Homo habilis. H. habilis was the first Homo and it was named the name with ability.





 
Lizzy Maluleke
CSIR PTA
0001
Cell nomber 072 351 8488
Tell              [012] 841 2133
Fax              [012] 842 3676
E-mail          maluleke@csir.co.za
 weblog: http://mmaluleke.blogspot.com/

WHY HOMO SAPIENS SURVIVED AND NEANDERTHAL DIED OUT?

Neanderthal was a subspecies of Homo sapiens, the species to which modern humans belong, it had occupied Europe and parts of western Asia during the middle Paleolithic period, 230 000 to 30 000 years ago. All the Neanderthals are heavily built but those from Western Europe are mostly robust. Homo sapiens appeared 195 000 years ago.

Neanderthals were very focused in whatever they were doing all the time and they lived in small groups, on the other side Homo sapiens lived in collection of several family groups. Even though Neanderthals were known to be the top predators they did not survive because they were 100% carnivorous, they finally lacked food as it was possible for them to hunt nothing for a day or two and this resulted in their extinct.

Neanderthals became extinct by 20 000 years ago. There are possibilities that they were destroyed by modern human or they disappeared through interbreeding or a physical inability to use stone tools or they lacked failed to survive the increasingly harsh winters. Homo sapiens survived because they were the omnivorous, therefore, their food were always available. They also survived the harsh environment.

Indeed there is extinction of Neanderthals, because all the humans lived today are pure Homo sapiens even though anthropologist does concede that the interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens may have occurred, but according to the genetic test none of their descendents seem to have survived. The dominant species of Homo sapiens were successful in harsh environment.

======================================
Ms Evelyn Maleka
CILLA CSIR
P.O. Box 395
Pretoria, 0001
Tel: (012) 841 2133
Fax: 012 842 7024.
cell: 082 292 1415
Email: emaleka@csir.co.za
http://malekaevelyn.blogspot.com/

SUMMARY OF THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE



The universe theory still remains the disputes issue and the scientists explained how this scientific theories works. The scientists explain all different forces and how they worked. Different scientists explain about their findings and how the universe functions. Scientists who have formulated formulae explained the interactions of forces in different planet of the elegent universe and the scientists who formulated this are Albert Estein, Isaac Newton, and Niels Bohr. Four forces such as gravity, nuclear, electromagnetism and weak force were explained on how universe functions. Scientists try to combine all of the four forces together and they have an idea how this universe work.


Albert Estein believes that everything in the Universe is made up of the strings, and it is said that these strings vibrate in order to make all the constituents of nature and is where the string theory began. At the age of 26, Isaac Newton, came up with his three laws, and said that there is a pulling force and pushing force. According to Newton, the force of gravity pulls all the particles towards the centre of the Earth. Newton explain by giving an example of an apple which was falling down from the tree, and were falling because of the two forces acting on the apple, the push and the pulling forces.


According to Green, Isaac Newton said that there is nothing that can go faster than the speed of the light, because the speed of the light is about 3*108m/s. Green also said that if light travels in such a high speed, gravitational disturbance will form the waves. How fast gravity travels led to the formulation of the general relativity. Maxwell comes up with the theory of Electromagnetic force which combined electricity and magnet. Maxwell also said that when the light is moving, it creates dots and dash. Gravity; electromagnetism and string were combined to form one equation. According to Amanda, Niels Bohr did not agree with Newton and Estein in that the universe behaves in a predictable way. Bohr says that elements consist of the smallest particles called atoms and Bohr came up the theory of quantum mechanics which predicts the chance about how the universe how works.

Scientists discovered that gravity and electromagnetism, nuclear and weak force are forces which describe how the world works. In 1933, Michael Green explains the theory of quantum mechanics theory; the Universe is formed as a result of the big bang some 14billion years ago. As a result the Universe gets small.


The issue of how the Universe works still remains disputes. This is because different scientists try to unify different questions in describing how the universe functions without reaching the final conclusion. Scientists were also disagreeing with each other about the functioning of the Universe.
g how the universe functions without reaching the final conclusion. Scientists were also disagreeing with each other about the functioning of the Universe.


 
 
Lizzy Maluleke
CSIR PTA
0001
Cell nomber 072 351 8488
Tell              [012] 841 2133
Fax              [012] 842 3676
E-mail          maluleke@csir.co.za
 weblog: http://mmaluleke.blogspot.com/