其他
有9万年历史的指骨，厉害了！| 慢速英语
沙特阿拉伯内夫得沙漠出土了成年中指指骨，检测结果显示为约9万年前的最古老智人化石。听起来是不是很酷？一起了解一下。
▾ 点击收听 ▾
向上滑动阅览
A finger bone is pointing to what scientists are calling a new understanding of how ancient human beings came out of Africa and began settling the rest of the world.The middle bone of an adult’s middle finger was unearthed in the Nefud Desert of Saudi Arabia.It was found in an area called Al Wusta.Testing has dated the fossilized remains to about 90,000 years ago.
Researchers reported that it is the oldest Homo sapiens fossil ever found outside of Africa and the eastern Mediterranean Levant area.They also said it is the first human fossil from the Arabian peninsula.
While the Nefud Desert is now a sea of sand, it was green when this Homo sapiens lived.The researchers say the area was once a grasslands, filled with wildlife, near a freshwater lake.
Our human ancestors first appeared in Africa about 300,000 years ago.Scientists once thought Homo sapiens left Africa in a single, fast migration some 60,000 years ago.It was thought they moved along coastal areas, eating fish and other sea creatures, said Michael Petraglia.He is an anthropologist with the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany.
This fossil bone, measuring 3.2 centimeters from end to end, suggests our species left Africa much earlier.
Petraglia explained that the fossil supports the idea that Homo sapiens did not move all at one time, but slowly and over many years.The discovery also shows these people were moving across the interior of the land, not just along the coastline, he added.
Near the fossil finger, scientists also discovered many animal fossils, University of Oxford archeologist Huw Groucutt said.Bite marks on fossilized bones showed that meat-eaters lived in the area.
Stone tools that hunter-gatherers used also were found.
“The big question now is what became of the ancestors of the population to which the Al Wusta human belonged,” Groucutt said.
“We know that shortly after they lived, the rains failed and the area dried up.Did this population die out? Did it survive further south in Arabia?”Groucutt asked. He noted that the drying environment many have pushed them into Eurasia.
A report on the findings was published in the magazine Nature Ecology and Evolution.
I’m Susan Shand.
A finger bone is pointing to what scientists are calling a new understanding of how ancient human beings came out of Africa and began settling the rest of the world.
指骨的发现有助于科学家重新了解古代人类是如何走出非洲并开始探索世界的。
The middle bone of an adult’s middle finger was unearthed in the Nefud Desert of Saudi Arabia.It was found in an area called Al Wusta.Testing has dated the fossilized remains to about 90,000 years ago.
位于沙特阿拉伯的内夫得沙漠出土了成年中指指骨。它是在一个叫做乌斯塔的地区发现的。经检测，从相关遗迹和沉积物中获得的断代结果集中在9万年前左右。
Researchers reported that it is the oldest Homo sapiens fossil ever found outside of Africa and the eastern Mediterranean Levant area.They also said it is the first human fossil from the Arabian peninsula.
据研究人员报告，它是在非洲和东地中海黎凡特以外地区发现的最古老智人化石。他们还说这是阿拉伯半岛第一个人类化石。
While the Nefud Desert is now a sea of sand, it was green when this Homo sapiens lived.The researchers say the area was once a grasslands, filled with wildlife, near a freshwater lake.
虽然内夫得沙漠现在是一片荒漠，但在这位智人生活的时期，该地是一片绿洲。研究人员说，该地区曾经是一片草原，到处都有野生动物活动，靠近淡水湖。
Our human ancestors first appeared in Africa about 300,000 years ago.Scientists once thought Homo sapiens left Africa in a single, fast migration some 60,000 years ago.It was thought they moved along coastal areas, eating fish and other sea creatures, said Michael Petraglia.He is an anthropologist with the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany.
大约在30万年前，人类的祖先首次出现在非洲。科学家曾经认为智人是在六万年前的一次快速迁徙中离开非洲。迈克尔·佩特拉利亚是德国马克斯·普朗克人类历史科学研究所的人类学家，他说，研究人员们认为古人类是沿着沿海地区移动，他们吃鱼和其他海洋生物。
This fossil bone, measuring 3.2 centimeters from end to end, suggests our species left Africa much earlier.
这块化石骨头从头到尾长3.2厘米，这表明人类物种早就离开了非洲。
Petraglia explained that the fossil supports the idea that Homo sapiens did not move all at one time, but slowly and over many years.The discovery also shows these people were moving across the interior of the land, not just along the coastline, he added.
佩特拉利亚解释说化石的发现验证了智人不是一次性移动的想法，而是经过很多年慢慢地迁移。这一发现还表明，这些人不仅仅沿着海岸线运动，也穿越了陆地内部，他补充说。
Near the fossil finger, scientists also discovered many animal fossils, University of Oxford archeologist Huw Groucutt said.Bite marks on fossilized bones showed that meat-eaters lived in the area.
牛津大学考古学家休·格鲁克特说，科学家在化石手指附近发现了许多动物化石。化石骨头上的咬痕表明食肉者居住在该地区。
Stone tools that hunter-gatherers used also were found.
并且他们还发现了狩猎采集者使用的石器。
“The big question now is what became of the ancestors of the population to which the Al Wusta human belonged,” Groucutt said.
“现在最大的问题是乌尔斯塔人的祖先到底遭遇了什么。”格鲁克特说。
“We know that shortly after they lived, the rains failed and the area dried up.Did this population die out? Did it survive further south in Arabia?”Groucutt asked. He noted that the drying environment many have pushed them into Eurasia.
“我们了解到，他们定居后不久，降雨开始减少，地区逐渐干涸。这个人种是消失了吗？ 还是为了存活向阿拉伯南部地区移动了？”格鲁克特问道。 他指出，许多干燥环境也推动他们迁移到欧亚大陆。
A report on the findings was published in the magazine Nature Ecology and Evolution.
相关研究发现刊载于杂志《自然-生态学与进化》。
I'm Susan Shand.
苏珊·尚德为您播报。
伴随着北京时好时坏的天气
小编们马不停蹄为大家整理了新的词汇书
根据单词前缀、后缀、词根毫不费力记单词！
下载app好评即可送书哦
小伙伴们快来领取吧~
详情请加QQ：3099007489
·END·
VOA慢速英语 慢慢学英语
这里是 美国之音 频道
找猪tt聊天
新浪微博：歪瓜裂枣脯
商务合作QQ:514935015（注明来意哦）