South African Discovery Could Shed Light on Origins of Man

Scientists Wednesday announced the discovery of a complete 3.3-million-year-old arm and hand of an ape-man at the renowned Sterkfontein caves in South Africa that could shed light on the origins of man. “This is the first time that a complete arm or hand of the ape-man, Australopithecus, has ever been found and promises to reveal dramatic information about the anatomy and behavior of our ancestors,” the South African Journal of Science said.

“Hands and feet are rarely discovered from these periods because they are usually the first thing carnivores eat. They make a tasty snack and are easy to eat,” the journal said. In an article to be published in the journal later this week, the researchers will report that the elbow joint has similarities to those of an orangutan--a great ape found in Indonesia and Malaysia that anthropologists believe is a distant relative of humans. The anatomy of the hand and foot support earlier contentions that the animal was adept at climbing trees, the article says.

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Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II