DISCOVERIESPALAEONTOLOGY
Fossilised
skull reveals
face of early
human
The skull belonged to the oldest-known
member of Australopithecus – a group of
east African hominins that preceded the
emergence of the Homo genus by around
two million yearsAfar, Ethiopia1The skull was discovered in 2
2016 at Miro Dora, in the Mille
district of the Afar Regional
State in Ethiopia. Analysis of its
shape indicates that it belongs to
Australopithecus anamensis, an
ancient hominin that dates back to
a time when early human ancestors
were transitioning from living in
trees to living on the ground. The
structure of its leg bones and ankle
joints indicates that they walked
upright on two feet, but their long
arms and wrist bones also suggests
that they were accomplished
climbers. The size of the skull’s
cranial cavity indicates that its
brain was about the same size as a
chimpanzee’s.DISCOVERIESPALAEONTOLOGY
Fossilised
skull reveals
face of early
human
The skull belonged to the oldest-known
member of Australopithecus – a group of
east African hominins that preceded the
emergence of the Homo genus by around
two million years
Afar, Ethiopia1The skull was discovered in 2
2016 at Miro Dora, in the Mille
district of the Afar Regional
State in Ethiopia. Analysis of its
shape indicates that it belongs to
Australopithecus anamensis, an
ancient hominin that dates back to
a time when early human ancestors
were transitioning from living in
trees to living on the ground. The
structure of its leg bones and ankle
joints indicates that they walked
upright on two feet, but their long
arms and wrist bones also suggests
that they were accomplished
climbers. The size of the skull’s
cranial cavity indicates that its
brain was about the same size as a
chimpanzee’s.