{"id":163,"date":"2017-09-13T20:20:28","date_gmt":"2017-09-13T20:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-history-of-our-tribe\/chapter\/20-australopithecus-garhi\/"},"modified":"2017-10-03T16:11:04","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T16:11:04","slug":"20-australopithecus-garhi","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-history-of-our-tribe\/chapter\/20-australopithecus-garhi\/","title":{"raw":"20. Australopithecus garhi","rendered":"20. Australopithecus garhi"},"content":{"raw":"
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Australopithecus garhi<\/i> (2.5 mya)<\/b><\/h1>\r\n

(\u201csouthern ape\u201d \/ \u201csurprise\u201d in the Afar language)<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_216\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]\"7.31\" Figure 20.1\u00a0<\/em>Reconstructed Australopithecus garhi skull. \u201cMus<\/a>\u00e9<\/a>e national d\u2019Ethiopie-Australopithecus garhi (2)<\/a>\u201d by Ji-Elle is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n
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SITES<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<\/b>Bouri site in the Middle Awash area of the Afar Depression, Ethiopia\r\n

PEOPLE<\/b><\/h3>\r\nTim White and Berhane Asfaw\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

INTRODUCTION<\/h2>\r\nIn 1996, researchers recovered portions of the frontal and parietal bones as well as a maxilla that contained teeth (see Figure 20.1). These materials were attributed to Australopithecus garhi<\/i>. While nearby limb bones could not be attributed to the species with absolute certainty, they have been used by some paleoanthropologists to describe the species\u2019 characteristics. Thus there is very little useful material to \u201creconstruct\u201d this species. Fossil-containing sediments also contained bones with cut marks and a few surface cores (shaped and modified rock) and flakes (sharp pieces of rock struck from a core) were found, suggesting that Au. garhi<\/i> butchered animal remains and possibly made tools. However, tools in fossil-bearing layers would be better evidence. Some believe that the manufactured stone tools at the nearby Gona, Ethiopia, site may have been manufactured by Au. garhi<\/i>.\r\n

PHYLOGENY<\/b><\/h2>\r\nThe species is likely descended from Au. afarensis<\/i>, possibly directly so. Like Au. afarensis<\/i>, Au.<\/i> garhi<\/i> is thought to have been more terrestrial than the South African australopiths. As is the case for the rest of the australopiths, some researchers believe them to be ancestral to genus Homo<\/i>,\u00a0and what little evidence there is for tool manufacture accords with our lineage.\r\n

DISCOVERY AND GEOGRAPHIC RANGE<\/b><\/h2>\r\nThe species was discovered in 1996 by Tim White\u2019s crew, and later Berhane Asfaw became involved. The only fossil material comes from the Bouri site in the Middle Awash region of the Afar Depression in Ethiopia.\r\n

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS<\/b><\/h2>\r\nThe maxilla and teeth are larger and more robust than those of Au. afarensis<\/i>, and some researchers lump them with the paranthropines. Thus like Au. aethiopicus<\/i> and P. boisei<\/i>, Au. garhi<\/i> were adapted to a broader dietary niche in response to environmental changes, particularly expanding grasslands. If the limb bones are rightfully attributed to the species, they had longer, more humanlike legs than other australopiths. Their arms were still apelike, based on the ratio of the arm to forearm length. The cranial capacity was 446 cc, falling midrange within that of Au. afarensis<\/i>.\r\n
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Review of Primitive Characteristics<\/h3>\r\n