Welcome East Africa cradle of mankind : Koobi Fora
During your Kenya safaris, one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world for studying the evolution of humanity is Koobi Fora, which is located on the eastern banks of Lake Turkana. The name Koobi Fora refers to a location of commiphora and a myrrh source, both of which are common plants in this hot, dry region.
Hominid fossils from Eastern Africa’s Plio/Pleistocene have been found in seven locations, the largest of which is east of Lake Turkana near Sibiloi National park. A roughly continuous period of deposition from the Pliocene (5.0 million) to the Early Pleistocene (1.0 million) years old is represented by the 700 square miles of fluvial and lacustrine sediments found at the Koobi Fora site.
Australopithecus Sensu Lato, one of the hominid models, has been identified as a chrono species that is more than two million years old. According to scholars, there was not much of a morphological shift at this time, based on the element that was preserved at Koobi Fora and other locations in East Africa. Not to mention that further animal and plant fossils have been found, stone artefacts have also been recovered from the site. For instance, numerous giraffine taxa have been identified. Here was the first Australopithecus skull discovered. There was also the Homo Habilis discovered. A 1.6 million-year-old fossilised skull belonging to Homo erectus was also found.
More skulls from animals and around 200 different hominids had been discovered up until 1994 than had been discovered anyplace else in the globe. Koobi For a falls was gazetted on July 24, 1981, under Sibiloi National Park, gazette notice number 2213. Later, on April 6, 1982, it was verified by gazette notice 1517. Koobi Fora is a component of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the Lake Turkana National Parks.
Welcome East Africa cradle of mankind : Olduvai George
One of the most significant fossil sites in the world is Olduvai Gorge. As such, it is included in the list of World Heritage Sites and continues to provide a wealth of knowledge about our past, insights into the progenitors of modern hominins, and a means of estimating the former habitats of many of these species. Within the Great Rift Valley of East Africa sits the well-known Olduvai Gorge. Situated between the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, it is. In actuality, Oldupai—a Maasai word for a wild plant that flourishes in the area—is misspelt when it comes to Olduvai Gorge.
The two ravine branches that make up Olduvai Gorge are approximately 30 miles (48 kilometres) long and 295 feet (90 metres) deep when combined. More than 60 fossilised hominid remains have been found inside the valley, and the rocks that comprise the ravine date back 2.1 million years. The longest continuous record of human evolution over the previous two million years comes from the Olduvai Gorge. Additionally, it has produced the oldest known archaeological record in history that explains how the use of stone tools has changed throughout time.
This site is especially important because, in 1959, British paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey found fossilised skull fragments and upper teeth belonging to a previously unidentified species of hominin, which are direct ancestors of modern humans. After spending several weeks excavating more than 400 distinct parts of an almost full skull, Mary and her husband Louis Leakey were able to categorise their discovery as a completely new group of hominid, the Zinjanthropus boisei. Their discovery was made even more intriguing by the fact that it was the oldest hominin discovery ever made, supporting the theory that early humans originated in Africa. This hominin’s existence could be traced back to 1.75 million years ago.
Several other archaeological teams were motivated to continue their search for evidence in the region after realising how much information and insight this region of East Africa held about the evolution of the human race. Their efforts paid off in 1986, when a group of American and Tanzanian archaeologists uncovered 302 bone fragments and teeth belonging to a young adult female, which allowed for the determination of this species’ full body proportions. This discovery has been called the largest and most significant discovery to have ever been made. This demonstrated that the Homo habilis was, in fact, closer to an ape than previously believed.
Welcome East Africa cradle of mankind : Why is it known as Cradle of mankind?
The “Cradle of Humankind” is actually a distinct World Heritage Site in Southern Africa, while Olduvai Gorge is widely recognised as the “Cradle of Mankind.”
The world’s richest hominin site, known as the “Cradle of Humankind,” is in South Africa; approximately 40% of all fossilised human ancestors have been found there. The fossilised skull of a young ape, known as “Taung’s child,” was discovered in 1924 near the edge of the Kalahari Desert. At the time, it was considered an unusual find that few scientists took seriously. Raymond Dart, an anatomist, had a different perspective and studied the skull more. He concluded that the location of an opening at the base of the skull indicated that “Tanug’s child” had walked upright like a human, and he named his discovery Australopithecus africanus, or the “southern ape of Africa.” The discovery of an Australopithecus africanus pelvis in its fully developed state in 1963 by Scottish palaeontologist Robert Broom strengthened the theory that these predecessors were “nearly men, and were certainly closely allied to mankind.”
Often referred to as “the missing link,” this discovery shows the closest known ape species progenitor that is connected to our Homo species. This study pushed the evolutionary timelines of apes and humans closer together than ever before.
Namiri plains
The Olduvai Gorge is roughly three hours’ drive from Namiri Plains, which is situated in the Eastern Serengeti. You can see a rare sight while visiting Namiri Plains: the fossilised skull of a species of giraffe that roamed the area millions of years ago. Kindly contact the camp manager or your guide to schedule a visit to see this skull.
For 20 years, the region around Namiri Plains was off-limits to the public to enable cheetah numbers to recover. The plains are now home to large cats, including as lions, leopards, and cheetahs, who all thrive in this region. This region is traversed by the Ngare Nanyuki underground river, which has produced permanent water supplies and led to a high concentration of resident plains wildlife in Namiri Plains.
