Introduced by John Maddox
Where was the cradle of mankind - and when did the first hominoid walk on earth? Professor David Piibeam. of the Department of Anthropology at Yale University, believes some of the answers are becoming clearer. Our most likely ancestor was a tree-dwelling creature weighing roughly 40 pounds, with a stature like that of a medium-sized dog. This hominoid called Ramapithecus inhabited the land-masses between East Africa and China between 15 and eight million years ago.
JOHN MADDOX discusses how these inferences and others concerning the life-style of such creatures can be made on the basis of a few jaw fragments recovered from fossil deposits.
Producer DAVID PATERSON