Rift Valley

East African Rift

This region played a crucial role in human evolution. It stretches from Ethiopia down to Tanzania and includes the Olduvai Gorge where many important hominid fossils - like Lucy, Habilis and Erectus - were found. It is currently thought that the rift's geological 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 during the time of out Hominin ancestors ( 5-2.5 Mya ).

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. [ Maps ]

• Tectonic Hypotheses of Human Evolution
• Wet & Dry Periods in the Rift Valley
• Rocking the Cradle of Humanity
• The Rift Valley - where Tectonic Plates Clash