Australopithecus sediba

Partial Skull and Skeleton Malapa hominid 1 (MH1) "Karabo" - 1.98 Million Years Ago

No reproduction of the skull is currently available

MH1 is the type specimen, or holotype, for this relatively newly described species and includes a partial skull, partial lower jaw bone, and some post-cranial elements. Since only its second molars erupted, it is considered a juvenile. The initial discovery of MH1’s right clavicle in Malapa, South Africa in August 2008 by Matthew Berger, the 9-year-old son of paleontologist Lee Berger, led to subsequent finds including the cranial vault (UW 88-50) of MH1 and partially fossilized remains of a paratype individual (MH2) believed to be an adult female.

MH1’s cranial capacity is estimated at 420-440 cc which is similar to that of other australopithecines. Yet, its cheekbones and brow ridge are less pronounced and its face is flatter with evidence of a slight chin. Consequently, both the genus and species designations continue to be hotly debated following its description in Science in 2010. Some place it with Australopithecines and others with Homo. The discoverers propose it is either an ancestor of Homo or, possibly, an evolutionary dead end. Other paleoanthropologists hypothesize it is H. africanus, simply showing variation over time within the species.

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