Ardipithecus ramidusArdipithecus ramidusTim White,Tim White, Alamayehu AsfawAlamayehu Asfaw, , 19921992--9494AramisAramis, Ethiopia, Ethiopia““Mystery SkeletonMystery Skeleton””4.5 million years4.5 million years

Significance: The scientific world waits Significance: The scientific world waits impatiently for a description of this impatiently for a description of this quasiquasi--hominid, which includes much of hominid, which includes much of a skeleton. It is hinted to have aa skeleton. It is hinted to have alocomotorlocomotor pattern unlike that of any pattern unlike that of any other known hominid or ape.other known hominid or ape.

A. anamensis

2

1

3

4

1. Flared tibia1. Flared tibia2.2. Enlarged lateralEnlarged lateral condylecondyle3. Large carpal tunnel3. Large carpal tunnel4. Apelike chin4. Apelike chin

Meave LeakeyLake Turkana4.1 mya

Bipedal hominid more primitive than afarensis

Hadar Knee Joint Australopithecus afarensisHadar Knee Joint Australopithecus afarensis

DonDon JohansonJohanson, 1973, 1973HadarHadar, Ethiopia, EthiopiaAge: 3Age: 3--4 million years4 million years

Significance: The distal Significance: The distal femur and proximal tibia femur and proximal tibia fragments articulate at an fragments articulate at an angle characteristic of angle characteristic of bipedal hominids, rather bipedal hominids, rather thanthan quadrupedalquadrupedal apes. apes. This confirmed that theThis confirmed that theHadarHadar fossils were fossils were hominids.hominids.

Lucy(A.L. 288)Australopithecus afarensis

Lucy(A.L. 288)Australopithecus afarensis

DonDon JohansonJohanson, 1974, 1974HadarHadar, Ethiopia, EthiopiaAge: 3.2 million yearsAge: 3.2 million years

Significance: The most famous fossil of our Significance: The most famous fossil of our century, and the most complete specimen century, and the most complete specimen of any hominid this old. Three and a half of any hominid this old. Three and a half feet tall and fully bipedal with a chimpfeet tall and fully bipedal with a chimp--sized brain, Lucy represents sized brain, Lucy represents Australopithecus Australopithecus afarenisafarenis, the earliest well, the earliest well--described hominid species.described hominid species.

A.L. 333 “First Family”Australopithecus afarensis

A.L. 333 “First Family”Australopithecus afarensis

DonDon JohansonJohanson, 1975, 1975HadarHadar, Ethiopia, EthiopiaAge: 3.2 mAge: 3.2 m

Significance:Significance: HadarHadar location 333 yielded the remains of nine adults and four juvenilocation 333 yielded the remains of nine adults and four juveniles les (including the child shown above and many of the(including the child shown above and many of the HadarHadar jaws at the right). If its jaws at the right). If its discoverers are correct in their assumption that these individuadiscoverers are correct in their assumption that these individuals died together in a ls died together in a catastrophic event, the site offers a crosscatastrophic event, the site offers a cross--section of ansection of an afarensisafarensis population.population.

Meanwhile: Laetoli fossils & printsMeanwhile: Laetoli fossils & prints

A. L. 444 - 2 Australopithecusafarensis

A. L. 444 - 2 Australopithecusafarensis

Yoel RakYoel Rak, 1992, 1992HadarHadar, Ethiopia, EthiopiaAge: 3 million yearsAge: 3 million yearsCranial capacity: 500 ccCranial capacity: 500 cc

Significance: This large male is the Significance: This large male is the most complete adultmost complete adult afarensisafarensis skull skull yet. It has fueled both sides of the yet. It has fueled both sides of the debate about the number of species debate about the number of species at at HadarHadar..

KNM-WT 17000: The Black SkullAustralopithecus aethiopicusKNM-WT 17000: The Black SkullAustralopithecus aethiopicus

LeakeyLeakey team, Westteam, West TurkanaTurkana, Kenya, 1985, Kenya, 1985Age: 2.6 million yearsAge: 2.6 million yearsCranial Capacity: 410 ccCranial Capacity: 410 cc

Significance: This surprisingly old, hyperSignificance: This surprisingly old, hyper--robust australopithecine ruinedrobust australopithecine ruined JohansonJohanson’’sshypothesis thathypothesis that robustsrobusts descended from descended from A.A. africanusafricanus. In fact, it poses a challenge to . In fact, it poses a challenge to all neat, simple hominidall neat, simple hominid phylogeniesphylogenies..

Raymond Dart, 1924Raymond Dart, 1924TaungTaung, South Africa, South AfricaAustralopithecusAustralopithecus africanusafricanus2.52.5 myamyaFourFour--year old with an apeyear old with an ape--sized sized

brain, humanlike small brain, humanlike small canines, and foramen magnum canines, and foramen magnum shifted forwardshifted forward

Taung ChildTaung Child

STS 5, “Mrs. Ples”Australopithecus africanusSTS 5, “Mrs. Ples”Australopithecus africanus

Robert Broom and John Robert Broom and John Robinson, 1947Robinson, 1947SterkfonteinSterkfontein, S. Africa, S. AfricaAge, 2.3Age, 2.3--2.8 million years2.8 million yearsCranial capacity, 450 ccCranial capacity, 450 ccAn adult An adult A.A. africanusafricanus; ; may may actually be a male.actually be a male.

Swartkrans 48Australopithecusrobustus

Swartkrans 48Australopithecusrobustus

Robert Broom, 1950Robert Broom, 1950SwartkransSwartkrans, S. Africa, S. AfricaAge: 1.5Age: 1.5--2 my2 myCranial capacity: 500 cc.?Cranial capacity: 500 cc.?Significance: Classic South AfricanSignificance: Classic South African robustusrobustus

Below: withSwartkrans23 mandble

OH 5 “Zinj”Australopithecus boisei

OH 5 “Zinj”Australopithecus boisei

MaryMary LeakeyLeakey, 1959, 1959OlduvaiOlduvai Gorge, TanzaniaGorge, TanzaniaAge: 1.8 million yearsAge: 1.8 million years

Significance: The longSignificance: The long--awaited awaited hominid to go with thehominid to go with theOlduvaiOlduvai tools, this hypertools, this hyper--robust specimen surprised robust specimen surprised everyone. It was dubbed everyone. It was dubbed ““ZinjanthropusZinjanthropus”” from the from the Swahili name for East Africa, Swahili name for East Africa, and nicknamed and nicknamed ““Nutcracker.Nutcracker.””

Australopithecus garhiAustralopithecus garhiBouri site, Ethiopia 1998Bouri site, Ethiopia 1998IHO team led by Tim White, IHO team led by Tim White, Berhane AsfawBerhane Asfaw2.5 million years old2.5 million years oldSkulls and Skulls and postcranial postcranial bones bones found with stone tools, found with stone tools, butchered animal bonesbutchered animal bonesHumerofemural Humerofemural index more index more modern than modern than afarensis afarensis ororafricanusafricanusFace more apelike, molars Face more apelike, molars larger than larger than africanusafricanusClaimed as possible link Claimed as possible link between between afarensisafarensis and and HomoHomo

Kenyapithecus platyopsKenyapithecus platyopsMeave Leakey team 1999Lake Turkana, KenyaAge: 3.2 to 3.5 mya

Very complete craniumSame age as afarensisNew species, perhaps even new genusUnique facial morphology, like later 1470Meave: Has as good a claim as Lucy