TURKANA Boy also commonly known as the Nariokotome boy is the name of the fossil KNM-WT 15000 which is nearly a complete early human skeleton ever found. The name is given to an old specimen of Homo Erectus which meant an upright man. The abundant fossils were discovered by Kamoya Kimeu in 1984 a Kenyan paleontologist in Dr Richard Leakey team. It is believed that it is 1.5 million and 6 million years old and was discovered in Lake Turkana in northern Kenya. The skeleton which was found was a massive aid in the assessment of relationships of the species and overall the body proportions. The boy who is viewed to be the skeleton stood at 5 feet tall when he died, and if he would have lived to maturity would have exceeded to 6 feet. At the time of its death it was about 78lbs, but upon maturity, it would probably have reached to 154lbs. The Turkana boy cranial capacity was 880cc and with a height of approximately 1.3-1.7 meters. Its skull was flat, a thick skull with large occipital, brow ridge and had much larger teeth. Microscopic analysis of the growth patterns of the teeth indicated he was a child since its adult teeth had not yet appeared. Amongst the suppressing facts about the skeleton Nariokotome boy was how it resembled our modern living conditions. With careful analysis of the skeleton, it somewhat proved that it would have a shorter and smaller growth spurt than that of the contemporary human beings. The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic research based on methods used for a past archaeological project and how the project would have been improved and other techniques of studying fossils to be used
Following the recent discovery in 2009 of footprints which were left by homo Erectus around Lake Turkana found to be over 1.5 million years old. Experts from the evolutionary anthropology in Leipzig (max plank institute) equipped themselves with a unique opportunity to study and understand modern human ancestor’s movement and hence acquiring data which aided them in relating the species to their dynamic behaviors. By use of innovative analytical techniques, they concluded that the Homo Erectus was quite similar to a modern man. The institute used experimental methods to obtain their data. The researchers showed that the shapes of the footprints are indistinguishable from those of modern people. Their analysis of the prints was to provide direct evidence of the fossils which were gathered lately of Turkana boy that one of the fossil relatives walked in a much same way as we do today. Using their experimental approximations of body mass, the hominid tracks found along lake Turkana by the team were deduced to be of male individuals (Benacquista and Tonino 78) Their feet in the experiments seemed that they were well designed for walking and even running. At the existence of the two sites evidence exists and were later concluded by the institute that the prints were of several males which imply cooperation among them during hunting.
Subsequently, the research used by the max plank institute was evident that the use of experimentation process came as a result of the human footprints which were discovered. Rapid changes such as the development of a much larger brain and body adaptation to bipedalism would be analyzed more if fossils would be preserved as whole individuals. Consequently, the imperfect preservation of the homo individuals of the fossil records hinders the full analysis of the hominids (Olson and Willard 90) . The most specimen which were found are just fragments of skull, jaw, and teeth and with such little evidence, anatomy cannot directly be attributed to significant brain size or bipedalism. In reality, paleontologist compares the fossils if either is less apelike and more human-like then it is perceived to be in the hominid family. The project would have been improved, and accurate data released after the experimentation process would have colluded with another technique of studying fossils such as paleoecology. This is study of how the hominids or organism related with their environment in the past. I would also recommend use of electron spin resonance(ESR). This is a method used which is based on natural radioactivity. In the fossils, there are always a lot of electrons trapped inside some of the crystals after there were formed hence they can be dated to find out how old are they.
After the discovery of the skeletons. It was widely suspected that Turkana boy suffered from a congenital disorder which either was dwarfism or scoliosis. This was attributed to the rib bones appearing asymmetrical to the spine. However, in 2013 a new study was brought to light reporting that a distinct arrangement of the ribs made them appear symmetrical. They also stated that any other peculiarities would be attributed to characteristics of the early hominids (Olson, Willard 90). Though the new study is still contentious anthropologist, however, concur that the fossils showed lumbar disc herniation which they tend to believe might have contributed to the early demise of the Turkana boy. A lot of queries arose regarding some of the unusual traits possessed by the Turkana boy and how he was different from other hominids. For us to comprehend how he died, we need to have a careful examination of how he lived. Unravelling this mystery would be crucial in uncovering startling finds in our human history.
The Turkana boy changes were mostly attributed due to their morphological change. The changes occurred in the skeletal system and were tied to the environmental factors, nomadic lifestyle, tool use and increased meat consumption. The developmental changes in the skeletal system included a more robust size where it can be seen with the Nariokotome boy (WT 15000) where his estimated stature was supposed to be over six feet (Rubalcaba andJill 38). The cranial shape of Homo Erectus also incurred great changes this is partly due to increased brain sizes and even larger body size. Some hypotheses still seek to explain why there is an increase in the brain of the Homo Erectus from other hominids.
The Turkana boy was a natural species with which its natural selection increasingly emphasised on its brain growth. This can be deduced from the fact that cranial capacity can be seen increasing in the fossil skulls. Meredith and Martin stated that Homo Erectus species evidently used a well-off repertoire of verbal communication which was considered to be a mixture of gesture languages and some vocalisations (59). The species were perceived more as the modern man due to their walking postures and ability to carry things while walking. A research proved that the species was capable of making tools. This showed that Homo Erectus could hunt more intensively with the capabilities they possessed. The most evolutionary and crucial change for Homo Erectus species was the invention of fire about 1.4 million years ago. They created fire by turning a stick rapidly in a dry log or rubbing the stick against one another back and forth.
Any fossil evidence discovered in Turkana helps understand and learn more about multiple species that existed million years ago making it easy to compare them. The analysis of Nariokotome boy skeleton is a key to comprehending the human evolution. It is evident that the shapes of the KNM-WT 15000 matches the normal modern human. Their brain capacity assisted them in creating evolutionary changes such as the invention of fire. The invention of fire made them start cooking foods which led them to travel to other continents hence populating them. The scientist came to a general accord that with the larger increased brain capacity it led to more complex behavior and greater elaborate use of tools. Communication between the species remains a mystery with some scientist stating that mostly gestures were used while others still insist they would communicate with modern humans. Homo erectus species is considered highly variable and is spread over two continents and is perceived as the longest-lived early human species. Gradually Homo Erectus species became advanced like the modern man though the transition took time in different areas.
Works cited
Beauchemin, Jean-François, and Jessica Moore. Turkana Boy. Vancouver, B.C: Talonbooks, 2012. Internet resource
Benacquista, Tonino, and Freixas M. Llopis. Homo Erectus. Barcelona: El Aleph, 2012. Print
Henderson, Harry. The Leakey Family: Unearthing Human Ancestors. New York: Chelsea House, 2012. Print
Meredith, Martin. Born in Africa: The Quest for the Origins of Human Life., 2012. Print
Olson, Willard W. From Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens: The Origins of Human Behavior., 2012. Print
Rubalcaba, Jill, Susan M. Sherman, Brian G. Walker, and Peter Robertshaw. Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates. , 2010. Print.
