Rift Valley

East African Rift

This region played a crucial role in human evolution. Many important hominid fossils - like Lucy - were found within the rift, and it is currently thought that the rift's evolution may have played an integral role in shaping our development.

The structure of the rift created by a "recent" clash between tectonic plates may have made East Africa more sensitive to climate changes, in particular leading to many alternations between wet and arid periods.

It is now thought that this environmental pressure could have been the drive needed for our ancestors to become bipedal and more brainy as they attempted to adapt to these shifting climates.

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