First ever discovery of a well-preserved skull and associated skeleton of Australopithecus

Author

Ronald J. Clarke

Files

Publication Date

October 1998

Abstract

Although 74 years have elapsed since the discovery at Taung of the first Australopithecus fossil, and despite intensive fieldwork in East Africa and 32 years of non-stop excavation at Sterkfontein, there has not been a discovery to date of a reasonably intact skull and associated skeleton of an ape-man. This is an account of the extraordinary series of events that led to just such a discovery and a preliminary assessment of the significance of the fossil, which is still largely embedded in the Member 2 breccia of the Sterkfontein Caves near Krugersdorp, South Africa.

Keywords

Australopithecus Fossil, Krugersdorp, South Africa, Sterkfontein Caves, Taung And Taxonomic Status

Document Type

Article

Notes

South African Journal of Science, Vol. 94, no. 10 (1998-10).

Identifier

K26-05160

Recommended Citation

Clarke, Ronald J., "First ever discovery of a well-preserved skull and associated skeleton of Australopithecus" (1998). KIP Articles. 1969.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/1969