Dawn of Humanity

The area north of Johannesburg, South Africa, is often called the "Cradle of Humankind." In recent years, fossil remains found in the caves suggest a transitional figure between the small-brained, small-bodied, ape-like Australopithecus and those who were "on the cusp of being human," a missing link that was perhaps capable of using tools, displaying cooperation, achieving social bonds, and possibly even observing a primitive form of human burial. Filmmaker Graham Townsley's PBS-aired NOVA episode examines the search for humanity's origins, involving the painstaking procedures of extracting millions-of-years-old fossils from the surrounding rock. In the 19th century, racist attitudes led many scholars to deny humankind's African origins, pointing towards Europe instead. Just as important as the fossil record is the nagging question about the fundamental early nature of man. Some scholars, such as Robert Ardrey in his bestselling book African Genesis, embrace the "killer ape" theory, suggesting that man is essentially violent (a point underscored by director Stanley Kubrick in the famous opening scenes of 2001: A Space Odyssey). However, recent studies of teeth found in human fossils suggest that early humans were plant eaters, perhaps only seeking meat out of necessity for survival. Considerable time is devoted here to fossil recovery expeditions, made possible by slender, mostly female researchers who are able to navigate a cave's incredibly tight confines in a quest to identify and remove bones. Along the way, the film argues that scientists or anyone else seeking to prove racial theories will be disappointed. “Nature is messy," says one interviewee, and interbreeding obscures origins, so there is no simple line of human evolution. Combining complex theories with engaging human-interest narratives, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)