Replies

Mrs. Ples and Taung child.

This guy found a 9,000 year old relative not two miles from his home, Cheddar Man

Ahem, my ex-wives complained that I never wanted to go anywhere, this guy hasn't ventured more that two miles in 9,000 years.

Two of my favorites! I studied both casts for hours in grad school.

Fossil: Sts 5 Site: Sterkfontein Cave, South Africa (1)

Discovered By: R. Broom & J. Robinson 1947 (1)

Estimated Age of Fossil: 2.5 mya * determined by Stratigraphic, floral & faunal data (1, 4)

Species Name: Australopithecus africanus (1, 2)

Gender: Male (based on CAT scan of wisdom teeth roots) (1, 30) Female (original interpretation) (4)

Cranial Capacity: 485 cc (2, 4)

Information: No tools found in same layer (4)

Interpretation: Erect posture (based on forward facing foramen magnum) (8)

Nickname: Mrs. Ples (1)

Fossil: Taung Child

Site: Buxton Limeworks, Taung, South Africa (1)

Discovered By: M. de Bruyn, 1924 (1)

Estimated Age of Fossil: 2.3 mya * determined by Faunal & geomorphological data (1, 4, 5)

Species Name: Australopithecus africanus (1, 3, 7, 8)

Gender: Unknown (1)

Cranial Capacity: 405 (440 as adult) cc (1, 3)

Information: First early hominid fossil found in Africa (7, 8)

Interpretation:

Juvenile (3 years old based on deciduous teeth, first permanent molars) (1, 3, 4, 7)
Bipedal hominid (based on position of foramen magnum, brain endocast, small canines) (1, 3, 4, 7)
Killed possibly by bird of prey (based on fractures and puncture marks on skull) (1, 10)