Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie is the Curator and Head of Physical Anthropology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Case Western Reserve University. He conducts research on early human evolution in Africa. His work centers on the Afar region of Ethiopia where he and his team survey large areas looking for fossil remains of early humans and other animals to better understand the paleobiology and paleoecology of these early humans and, ultimately, our origins. His research has been published in top scientific journals, including Nature, Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He is a Fellow at the Institute of the Science of Origins (Case Western Reserve University) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

1. Searching for Our Ancestors in the Afar
Desert of Ethiopia: An Incessant Affair
Yohannes Haile-Selassie (Ph.D.)
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, OH 44106
&
Case Western Reserve University
14900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106

2. The Afar Rift
http://www.people.eku.edu
Geology.com

3. Badlands in the Afar Desert

4. Paleontological Sites in the Afar Rift

5. The Human Family Tree

6. The Pioneers
Maurice Taieb and Donald Johanson (1972-73)

7. The Pioneers
Donald Johanson, Tim White, & Marice Taieb (2006)

8. A.L. 129-1 A.L. 288-1 (“Lucy”)
(1973) (1974)

9. Survey and Exploration (2002-4)
– Started survey in the
North and Central Afar
Region of Ethiopia in
2002-2003
– WORMIL was
identified in 2004

10. The Woranso-Mille study area
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11. 6,000 fossil specimens
More than 45 taxa
150 hominin fossils

12. Getting to the Sites
Photo: David Brill
Photo: David Brill

13. Survey and Exploration

15. Discovery

17. Photo: David Brill

18. Sifting for fragments

21. “Lucy” “Kadanuumuu” “Ardi”
3.2 Million years 3.6 Million years 4.4 Million years

22. November 1994, Aramis Locality 6

23. “Ardi’s” Skeletal Elements

26. Recent discovery from the Woranso-
Mille Study Area

27. Keeping the Legacy

28. Thank you!
Photo courtesy: David Brill