science

Olduvai Hominid 8

Olduvai Hominid 8 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Olduvai Hominid 8 rather than just read about it. In short: Olduvai Hominid number 8 (OH 8) is a fossilized foot of an early hominin found in Olduvai Gorge by Louis Leakey in the early 1960s. Remnants Kidd et al.

Key takeaways

Olduvai Hominid 8 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Olduvai Hominid 8 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Olduvai Hominid 8 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Olduvai Hominid number 8 (OH 8) is a fossilized foot of an early hominin found in Olduvai Gorge by Louis Leakey in the early 1960s.

Remnants

Kidd et al. (1996) argued that the fossil assemblage exhibits both ape and human characteristics. The lateral side (i.e. the outside of the foot) contains human-like characteristics while the medial side (i.e. the side towards the midline) contains ape-like features proximally, and human-like features distally. Specifically, the cuboid (laterally) is human-like, the talus and navicular (medially) are ape-like, and the medial cuneiform (medially), is human-like. This may be looked upon as a missing link in terms of mid-tarsal joint function. Later fossil finds, as exemplified by the so-called "Little Foot" (Stw573 complement this finding (Kidd & Oxnard 2004). Stw573 is a medial column assemblage, consisting of a talus, navicular, medial cuneiform and a first metatarsal stub. The three hindfoot bones present a pattern consistent with those of the OH 8 assemblage. Thus the hypothesis of a divergent first ray in the OH 8 assemblage, proposed in Kidd et al. (1996), is now refuted, and neither fossil assemblage are thought to have this characteristic. Zipfel and Kidd (2006) suggest an integrative model of pedal evolution of caudo-cranial, disto-proximal changes. and Zipfel, DeSilva and Kidd (2009), Zipfel et al. (2011) with regard to then-recently found skeletal remains of Australopithecus sediba further argue that the disto-proximal issues of the medial column may also present in the lateral column. Combined, these findings refute the "Hypothetical Prehuman Foot", as predicted by Morton (1935); Morton had predicted an "atavistic" divergent first ray, and a very substantial, robust calcaneus; neither of these predictions are evident from the fossil record as currently available..

References

External links

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Olduvai Hominid 8

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Olduvai Hominid 8 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Olduvai Hominid 8 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Olduvai Hominid 8 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Olduvai Hominid 8

In research: Olduvai Hominid 8 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Olduvai Hominid 8 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Olduvai Hominid 8 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fossils of Tanzania, Homo habilis fossils, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Olduvai Hominid 8 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Olduvai Hominid 8” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Olduvai Hominid 8 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Olduvai Hominid 8 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Olduvai Hominid 8 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Olduvai Hominid 8 in simple terms?

Olduvai Hominid number 8 (OH 8) is a fossilized foot of an early hominin found in Olduvai Gorge by Louis Leakey in the early 1960s. Remnants Kidd et al.

Why does Olduvai Hominid 8 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Olduvai Hominid 8?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Olduvai Hominid 8.