{1556}{1765}Some animals can show emotion|These unique creatures are reacting {1735}{1835}to the death of one of their group|with what can only be described {1822}{1862}as grief. {1873}{1974}lt is the eldest female|who has eventually lost her fight {1960}{2008}with malaria. {2059}{2147}Beside her body, her three|year old orphan. {2140}{2248}His mother was the most important|thing in his life and without her {2235}{2392}survival in a difficult world|will become almost impossible. {2703}{2841}This is the northern end of the|great African rift valley. {2824}{2951}A staggering landscape created by|fractures in the continent. {2959}{3085}This is the cradle of|evolution for mankind. {3267}{3345}The world has been transformed|in the last few million {3336}{3388}years by one small plant. {3386}{3467}Where once there was forest|there are now vast tracts {3457}{3509}of grassland. {3554}{3678}And with grass have come new|species of grazing mammals. {3790}{3888}At first glance you might think|you were in the 21st century {3876}{3935}but there are important {3930}{4037}differences The big cats are actually|of the sabre tooth variety, {4024}{4104}although these ones only|have small sabres. {4225}{4327}And creatures like Deinotherium might|look like elephants but they are {4314}{4439}three times the size with tusks that|curve downwards for striping {4423}{4474}bark off trees. {4622}{4767}But on the edge of the forest live the|most remarkable animals of all. {4814}{4932}A type of ape has evolved that clearly|shows the first signs of {4918}{4971}becoming more human. {4998}{5115}What makes them closer to us than other|apes is not their brains which {5099}{5166}are only one third of the size, {5192}{5279}it's not their skin which is hairy, {5332}{5443}it's something they do that other|apes just don't. {5442}{5618}Something that will one day lead them|to be described as a missing link. {5657}{5748}These apes walk upright. {5871}{6009}These are Australopithecus.|Go back 200, 000 generations and {5991}{6079}your relatives would look|something like this. {6073}{6178}They live in groups with complex|social structures and are also {6166}{6244}very political animals. {6337}{6412}This is Grey, the eldest of the group. {6404}{6481}He is 30 years old and the top male. {6473}{6558}But only for as long as the females|want him to be. {6553}{6638}Females are just two-thirds of|the size of the males. {6629}{6731}But Grey needs their support if|he wants to stay in charge. {6786}{6875}Unfortunately, he's no|longer getting it. {7133}{7256}With the death of the lead female,|this noisy individual called Babble {7240}{7353}has now replaced her and|she is no f an of Grey. {7482}{7612}Bottom of the heap is the orphaned|male called Blue. {7616}{7726}At three years old his social skills|are as yet undeveloped. {7716}{7845}With the death of his mother|he is becoming an outsider. {7887}{7957}But in truth,|the whole group has problems. {7949}{8002}Last year there were 12 of them. {7998}{8115}As a result of malaria|they now number just eight. {8126}{8205}This has led to tension|within the hierarchy. {8575}{8723}A younger, larger male called Hercules|is starting to challenge Grey. {8890}{8974}These fights are less violent|than other primates. {8964}{9069}Baboons, for example, have large canines|and bite each other. {9067}{9212}Australopithecus have small canines|and their fights are mostly show. {9483}{9618}Grey has managed to put Hercules|in his place, for now at least. {9903}{9993}One reason that our origins are|here in Africa is that {9983}{10174}it's an ideal habitat for an upright ape|a patchwork of forest and savannah. {10314}{10417}Unlike many of the creatures here|the Australopithecus are comfortable {10405}{10498}in both the trees and the open spaces. {10569}{10665}They share the water hole with|Ancylotherium, an ancient type of {10654}{10790}animal that was once widespread|but is now only left in Africa. {10881}{10995}Fortunately, these herbivores are|f airly harmless neighbours. {11020}{11104}Which is more than you can|say for Deinotherium. {11094}{11205}These are the biggest animals|in the Australopithecus world. {11192}{11329}They are as tall as giraffes but|weigh 14 times as much. {11496}{11586}Even young Deinotherium|are worth avoiding. {11896}{11999}ln the weeks that follow the|males continue their squabbling. {12189}{12253}Blue, meanwhile, sits apart. {12246}{12334}He still has no idea how to integrate. {12395}{12494}But this is no time for|the group to be divided. {12824}{12905}These males are from a larger,|neighbouring group. {12895}{12971}They are challenging|Grey for this territory. {13281}{13394}Grey responds but his group is now|too few in number to fend off so {13380}{13452}many full grown males. {14613}{14729}As the group freeze|Blue is in danger of getting left behind. {14760}{14861}With no one to look after him,|he can only struggle to catch up. {14855}{14935}Without the group he won't survive. {15312}{15507}Blue has kept up. But for his group|things have gone from bad to worse. {15578}{15655}They have been pushed out of a|territory they have held for {15646}{15696}many seasons. {15773}{15888}Establishing themselves in|a new area won't be easy. {17302}{17392}Walking on two legs is an|efficient way to travel and {17382}{17498}gives the Australopithecus a higher|viewpoint than other apes. {17488}{17565}This means predators are easier to spot. {17556}{17662}Out here in the open they must|be especially vigilant. {17890}{17971}The group also needs to stick together. {17963}{18051}Eight pairs of eyes are|better than one. {18418}{18493}lt is four days since they|left the forest. {18490}{18594}They've been pushed north into|less f amiliar terrain. {18592}{18744}Tired from travelling they notice|the Deinotherium too late. {19494}{19596}This male is coming into must.|His body is pumped full of {19584}{19648}testosterone,ready for mating. {19642}{19747}Unfortunately, this makes him|extremely aggressive. {19750}{19853}ln the chaos a youngster has become|separated from the group. {19845}{19961}And now there is 14 tonnes of angry|Deinotherium between him and {19947}{19986}his mother. {20198}{20245}The youngster is Babble's. {20242}{20353}His desperate calls to her are|making her blind to danger. {20490}{20576}Babble tries to reach the youngster|but she is soon running for {20566}{20618}her life instead. {20898}{20968}At least Babble distracts|the Deinotherium. {20967}{21044}But then the youngster does|the worst thing possible, {21041}{21089}he continues to call out. {22132}{22250}They very nearly lost another|member of the group {22498}{22584}A few days later they have moved on|and found a place that appears {22574}{22635}to have everything they need. {22630}{22768}There are trees to hide in, water to|drink and more fruit than they can eat. {22921}{23034}And there don't appear to be any|other Australopithecus around. {23122}{23254}They only have to share the fruit|with the Ancylotherium and {23237}{23336}they can be scared off if you know how. {23545}{23641}Hercules has learnt to use noise to|appear more dangerous than {23630}{23683}he really is. {24013}{24115}The group soon start to settle|into their new surroundings. {24160}{24235}For the first time in a few days|the youngest members of the group {24228}{24278}are playing again. {24293}{24361}But some things plainly haven't changed. {24355}{24429}Blue is still on the edge of things. {24421}{24504}Even though the other juveniles are|younger than Blue, {24495}{24551}they ignore him. {24743}{24854}With darkness round the corner,|it's time to prepare for evening. {24845}{24951}Australopithecus sleep in the trees|because it is safer and make {24939}{25066}a new nest every night by folding|down a bed of branches. {25101}{25229}Primates were once all nocturnal|creatures but not any more. {25211}{25343}Some have evolved great colour vision|allowing them to pick out succulent {25327}{25358}leaves and fruit. {25357}{25446}But this has come at the expense of|their night vision which is {25436}{25512}now poor compared to most animals. {25503}{25591}So for these apes|and in the future humans, {25580}{25653}the night is a time to sleep. {25689}{25827}Sadly, the Australopithecus will soon|find that this place is not {25809}{25867}the paradise it first appears. {26307}{26398}Black Eye has stolen an egg from|an ostrich nest. {26388}{26494}Being able to carry things while on|the move is another advantage of walking {26480}{26534}on two legs. {26791}{26957}Before she can break into the egg...|Grey steals it from her. {27614}{27713}Dinofelis is a killer of|Australopithecus. {27723}{27830}These cats don't have the speed to|bring down f ast running herbivores so {27817}{27974}specialise in slower prey that|they can kill easily and eat quickly. {27982}{28077}Later members of the human f amily|will rise up the food chain to {28066}{28230}become top predators but in this era|our relatives are prey. {28651}{28756}After the attack the group are|quiet and subdued. {28742}{28818}Black Eye's death has left a hole. {28810}{28918}They spend a lot of their time|grooming to make new social bonds {28905}{28967}and strengthen old ones. {28961}{29040}lt's their equivalent of talking. {29048}{29152}At last Blue seems to be interacting|with the group and is learning {29139}{29197}to play the social game. {29192}{29256}He is grooming Grey. {29396}{29485}The group's numbers have now at least|been boosted by the arrival of {29475}{29529}a young female. {29525}{29621}While males stay within the same|group their whole lives, {29610}{29713}female Australopithecus move to a|new group when they are old {29700}{29758}enough to mate. {29759}{29847}This prevents inbreeding. {29838}{29905}lt is a difficult transition for her. {29899}{30008}lt will take her some time to be|a...
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