Читать книгу (101 things to know when you go) ON SAFARI IN AFRICA - Patrick Brakspear - Страница 14

In 1984 the fossilized skeleton of an 11 or 12 year boy was discovered by Kamoya Kimeau, a member of one of Richard Leakey's research teams, at the site of Nariokotome, in western Lake Turkana, Kenya. This specimen, comprising 108 bones, is the most complete early human skeleton ever found, and is believed to be between 1.5 and 1.6 million years old.

In adulthood, Turkana Boy might have reached 185 centimetres (73 in) tall and massed 68 kilograms (150 lb). The pelvis is narrower than in Homo sapiens, which is most likely for more efficient upright walking. This further indicates a fully terrestrial bipedalism, which is unlike older hominid species that show a combined feature of bipedalism and tree climbing. Whilst the overall skeleton still had features such as a low sloping forehead, strong brow ridges, and the absence of a chin not seen in Homo sapiens, there are significant defining characters, such as bigger brain size, arms and legs that are slightly longer, and a nose projecting like those of humans rather than the open flat nose seen in apes. It is thought that its body hair may also have been thinner, with increased sweat glands to hasten cooling, and a much darker skin with abundant melanin to cope with the direct tropical African sun.