Scientists have discovered the bones of what is thought to be the oldest human species in a cave in South Africa. The study shows that the earliest ancestor of human being was probably a toothy little cannibal。

　　科學家在南非的一處巖洞里發(fā)現(xiàn)了最早人類的骨骼。研究表明，這位我們?nèi)祟愖钤绲淖嫦群芸赡苁情L著長長牙齒的小型“食人魔”。

　　According to a report, scientists found some two million- to 800,000-year-old fossil-skull pieces, jaws, teeth, and other bones at the Sterkfontein caves complex in South Africa's Gauteng Province. The research indicates that this is the earliest ancestors of man discovered by far, which were named Homo gautengensis。

　　據(jù)報道，科學家在南非豪登省的一個巖洞里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些距今八十萬至兩百萬年的遠古人類的頭骨碎片、下顎骨、牙齒及其它部分骨骼。研究表明這是目前為止發(fā)現(xiàn)的最早的人類祖先，科學家將其命名為“豪登人”(Homo gautengensis)。

　　Homo gautengensis were living two million- to 600,000 years ago. They were thought to measure 3ft 6 in height and weighed just over 50kg. They were also able to communicate by verbal language. Compared with modern humans, the new species had proportionally long arms, a projecting face somewhat like a chimp's, larger teeth, and a smaller brain。

　　“豪登人”生活在約60萬到200萬年前，身高僅一米，體重約50公斤，能夠用音節(jié)簡單的語言互相交流。與現(xiàn)代人類相比，“豪登人”前臂較長，面孔突出像黑猩猩一樣，牙齒很長，腦容量則較小。

　　Though the teeth of Homo gautengensis proved they had begun to eat plant, the ancestor of man was by no means vegetarian. Along with the burned and de-fleshed bones, the marks on the Stw 53 skull suggest that the man 'was certainly on the menu of Homo gautengensis.'

　　盡管“豪登人”的牙齒證明他們已經(jīng)開始食用植物，人類的祖先卻絕不是素食主義者。在被發(fā)現(xiàn)的標號為Stw 53骨骼上有焚燒和剝掉皮肉的痕跡?？茖W家認為這證明這個男性“豪登人”曾是同類的盤中餐。