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left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
Tue Nov 10, 2020, 03:11 PM Nov 2020

Two-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


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Two-million-year-old skull of human 'cousin' unearthed (Original Post) left-of-center2012 Nov 2020 OP
Wow jpak Nov 2020 #1
Keep it away from Rudy Guiliani Blue Owl Nov 2020 #2
I like it because i was 4 and on a cousin's beach when my Dad pointed applegrove Nov 2020 #3
I'm not sure how you relate this to oak island?? left-of-center2012 Nov 2020 #4
The fellowship of the dig is a bunch of people doing what they love. I love applegrove Nov 2020 #5
This message was self-deleted by its author left-of-center2012 Nov 2020 #6
I wonder how much DNA we share. wnylib Nov 2020 #7

applegrove

(123,117 posts)
3. I like it because i was 4 and on a cousin's beach when my Dad pointed
Tue Nov 10, 2020, 04:49 PM
Nov 2020

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.

Response to left-of-center2012 (Reply #4)

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