BIOGEOGRAPHIC AND CLIMATIC BASIS FOR A NARRATIVE OF EARLY HOMINID EVOLUTION

We provide the basis for a scenario of hominid evolution that complies with both the Habitat Theory of Vrba (1992) and early hominid biogeog raphy. It expresses the association between faunal turnover and climat e change with significant developments during human evolution (cf. How ell, 1959). This scenario suggests a single origin for the Parathropus lineage but separate origins for Homo rudolfensis and Homo habilis fr om Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus africanus ancestors respectively. The scenario we propose is bold and as yet unsubstantia ted by analyses of character states and polarities. We hope that this flagrancy will incite focused research on its assumptions and result i n new hypotheses based on a more holistic accounting of morphology, bi ogeography, and ecology.