When stars exploded within range of Earth 2.6 million years ago, it may have set certain things in motion that would cause human ancestors to go from swinging through the trees to walking upright, according to a new study
When stars exploded within range of Earth 2.6 million years ago, it may have set certain things in motion that would cause human ancestors, called hominins, to go from swinging through the trees to walking upright, according to a new study.
The researchers believe that the avalanche of cosmic energy in our atmosphere may have led to an increase in lightning strikes that sparked wildfires, turning the tree-filled forests into open grasslands. The strongest signal of supernovae, or exploding stars, is traced to a peak that happened 2.6 million years ago from about 163 light-years away, although Earth was getting hit with cosmic energy from supernovae as early as 8 million years ago.
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