Do the Fossils Found at the Sites Explored by Louis and Mary Leakey and the Sites Explored by Donald Johanson Represent Several Hominidspecies or Only One?
Viewpoint: Yes, the fossils found by Louis and Mary Leakey and by Donald Johanson represent several hominid species.
Viewpoint: No, the hominid fossils found and named by Donald Johanson and Louis and Mary Leakey represent a single species of Australopithecine or very early Homo.
Modern studies of the relationship between the ancestors of the great apes and modern humans involve many disciplines, such as paleoanthropology, historical geography, archaeology, comparative anatomy, taxonomy, population genetics, and molecular biology. Although insights gained by the genetic analysis of human and nonhuman lineages have provided new insights into human evolution, the fossilized remains of human ancestors still provide the most valuable clues to the past. Unfortunately, hominid fossils are rare and generally quite fragmentary. Complete skulls and skeletons are uncommon, and identifying and classifying bits of bones and teeth to determine their relationship to other ancient specimens involves formidable challenges. Many subtle characters must be used in the analysis of fragmentary remains. The major sites of discovery of the most ancient hominid fossils have been in Africa: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.
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