< Prev 
 Close 
 Next >

Cradle of Humanity

Map of Ethiopia


Africa's Rift Valley was rocking with evolutionary experiments 6 million years ago. The latest fossil finds - just 50 miles south of the well-preserved "Lucy" skeleton - push humankind's origins back another 1 million years, putting our descent from the trees to walk upright at about 5.8 million years ago. New data about the climate and vegetation of this region suggest early humans stood up on the lush valley floor for a more obvious reason: to get to the next tree rather than to cover as much ground as possible in their search for food.