Weather wonders!

IT WAS the inexorable hand of climatethat spurred human evolution. This isthe latest finding of Peter researcher, working with the Universityof Columbia's Lamont-DohertyObservatory, us. No one knows for ctain what first forced huntoemremote ape-like ancestors to forsathe trees they called home, why soprehistoric species surpassed others orwhy primitive human ancestors migratedted out of their African homeland.

The new study has come up wisethe first detailed evidence to establishedthat weather may be at the rootall these momentous changes. Ananalysis of ocean sediments Irevealed that In the last three years, East Africa was rocked times by abrupt cycles of coldw, climate. Each cycle of change with the demise of some primospecies and the development of towwho became the forebearers of humanity. 'We 4now place the ftrecord of humdevelopment witlthe context of verydetailed recordshow African climatechanged during theperiod of evolution,"said deMenocal.