Anthropology
Related: About this forumTwo-million-year-old skull of human 'cousin' unearthed
The skull was a male Paranthropus robustus, a "cousin species" to Homo erectus - a species thought to be direct ancestors of modern humans. The two species lived around the same time, but Paranthropus robustus died out earlier. The research team described the find as exciting.
"Most of the fossil record is just a single tooth here and there so to have something like this is very rare, very lucky," Dr Angeline Leece told the BBC. The researchers, from Melbourne's La Trobe University, found the skull's fragments in 2018 at the Drimolen archaeological site north of Johannesburg. It was uncovered just metres away from a spot where a similarly aged Homo erectus skull of a child was discovered in 2015.
It is thought that three hominins (human-like creatures) species lived in South Africa at the same time in competition with each other. As such the skull discovery presented a rare example of "microevolution" within human lineage, Mr Martin said. Paranthropus robustus had large teeth and small brains, differing from Homo erectus which had large brains and small teeth. It is believed the former's diet involved eating mainly tough plants, like tubers and bark.
Archaeologists then spent the past few years piecing together and analysing the fossil. Their findings were published in the Nature, Ecology and Evolution journal on Tuesday.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-54882214
The two-million-year-old skull is a Paranthropus robustus specimen
jpak
(41,780 posts)wow
Blue Owl
(54,734 posts)applegrove
(123,117 posts)Last edited Tue Nov 10, 2020, 06:12 PM - Edit history (2)
to Oak Island and told the story in about 1970. So that planted a seed of wonder. My parents used to visit Mahone Bay, when they retired, every summer. I love NS. I love history. And i love seeing people do what they love which is clearly all the people involved in the dig. As to treasure i have no idea. I don't buy most of the theories. I think it is more about 'finding out about yourself' or mankind's relationship to greatness than any physical treasure.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)applegrove
(123,117 posts)that.
Response to left-of-center2012 (Reply #4)
left-of-center2012 This message was self-deleted by its author.
wnylib
(24,391 posts)And how much Paranthropus robustus shared with Homo erectus.