A stegosaurus fossil named Apex, which was sold for $44.6 million, is now on public display at the American Museum of Natural History. Scientists have found evidence that humans were living in a tropical rainforest in West Africa around 150,000 years ago, much earlier than previously believed. Prior to this discovery, the oldest known evidence of human habitation in African rainforests was around 18,000 years ago. Eleanor Scerri and her team found evidence of ancient human occupation in Southern Côte d’Ivoire, a region believed to be unsuitable for human settlement due to its dense rainforest environment.
Finding evidence of early human occupation in African rainforests was challenging due to poor preservation of ancient botanical materials and limited rainfall in the region. Despite these challenges, Scerri and her team managed to locate a site in Côte d’Ivoire that contained tools and evidence of human activity dating back 150-160,000 years. The site was home to a variety of rainforest trees and plant life, indicating that humans thrived in the heavily wooded area.
This discovery challenges the traditional narrative that early humans had to learn to adapt to various environments as they evolved. Instead, it suggests that humans had multiple roots across Africa and were able to survive in diverse ecosystems from very early on. The adaptability and ingenuity of humans to thrive in different environments has played a crucial role in our evolution and success as a species, allowing us to explore and inhabit new territories, including space.
