Why was the discovery of the Australopithecus afarensis child, nicknamed “Selam,” such a significant finding with regards to hominin evolution?
a) The skeleton is a transitional fossil, highlighting how hominins began transitioning from a tree-based lifestyle to a bipedal lifestyle.
b) The neck bones of that fossilized skeleton were attached to the bottom of the skull, as opposed to the back of the skull like modern chimps.
c) The fossilized skeleton was found with intact, fossilized shoulder blades, which provided key insight into the timing of when hominins abandoned their tree-based lifestyle.
d) The fossilized skeleton of the A. afarensis child contained foot bones with a separated big toe, similar to modern chimps.