Morphology and affinities of new hominin cranial remains from Member 4 of the Sterkfontein Formation, Gauteng Province, South Africa

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Publication Date

April 2002

Publication Title

Journal of Human Evolution

Volume Number

42

Issue Number

4

Abstract

Descriptions are provided of 27 hominin cranial specimens recovered from Member 4 of the Sterkfontein Formation between 1968 and 1994. Provisional statements of taxonomic affinity are given. The principal conclusion of this overview is that the bulk of the cranial remains from Member 4 are attributable to Australopithecus africanus or are consistent with the anatomy of that species, while some others are indeterminate. No specimen can be assigned confidently to a known species other than A. africanus. However, two specimens document the possibility that a second, possibly new species is represented among the Member 4 hominins, although such a species is difficult to characterize on cranial evidence alone.

Keywords

Australopithecus, Hominids, Systematics, Variation, Australopithecus Africanus

Geographic Subject

South Africa

Document Type

Article

Language

English

Notes

Journal of Human Evolution, Vol. 42, no. 4 (2002-04).

Identifier

SFS0067336_00001

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