Large mammals shaped the evolution of humans: here’s why it happened in Africa

By Norman Owen-Smith, Emeritus Research Professor of African Ecology, University of the Witwatersrand

That humans originated in Africa is widely accepted. But it’s not generally recognised how unique features of Africa’s ecology were responsible for the crucial evolutionary transitions from forest-inhabiting fruit-eater to savanna-dwelling hunter. These were founded on earth movements and aided physically by Africa’s seasonal aridity, bedrock-derived soils and absence of barriers to movements between north and south.

These features promoted extensive savanna grasslands marked by erratic rainfall,…

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