The Rift Valley

By: Kristina Lyn Heitkamp

East Africa’s Rift Valley has proven a rich source of information about our distant ancestors. Fossil finds there, including the famous Lucy and Turkana Boy, have permanently altered our understanding of how modern humans evolved. Readers will learn about the other hominins—such as the species “Homo erectus” and the genus “Australopithecus”—who help fill out the human family tree. The engaging text explains how archaeologists’ discoveries of bones, tools, early art, evidence of hearths, and other evidence has furthered our understanding of the origins of modern humans. A timeline helps readers understand the chronology of the topic.

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