Site: East African Rift Valley. Aramis, Middle Awash region of Afar, Ethiopia.
Dates: c. 4.4 - 4.0 Ma
Fossils: Teeth & jaws, occipital fragments, humerus, radius, ulna.
Body size: c. 40 kg.
Brain size: Apelike, precise size not known.
Teeth: Canines large, posterior teeth relatively small; no ape-like honing facet on canines; premolars not molarized; thin enamel; dental arcade shape similar to A. afarensis, but canines in line with posterior teeth like apes.
Skull: Foramen magnum placed anteriorly.
Postcrania: Forelimb a mixture of ape-like and A. afarensis-like features, no adaptation for knuckle-walking.
Tools: None.
Habitat: Floodplain. Forest or woodland vegetation.
Sites: Allia Bay & Kanapoi, East Turkana, Kenya
Fossils: Tibia, humerus, temporal, teeth & jaws
Dates: Allia Bay: 3.9 Ma, Kanapoi: 3.4 - 3.1 Ma:
Body size: 45-60 Kg, very dimorphic
Brain size: Apelike, precise size not known.
Teeth: Large canine, no honing facet on canine, thick enamel on all teeth
Skull: Mandibular articulation & external auditory meatus size & shape chimp-like
Postcrania: Bipedal, less flexibility in ankle & big toe than chimp, powerful climber
Habitat: riverine floodplain, mixture of open savanna & woodland
fauna.
Sites: East African Rift Valley. Afar (Hadar), Ethiopia; Laetoli, Tanzania.
Fossils: Many individuals, cranial, dental & postcranial remains.
AL-288-1: "Lucy" 40% complete female partial skeleton.
AL-333: "First family"
AL-444-2: Nearly complete male cranium.
Dates: Laetoli 3.5 Ma, Hadar 3.0-3.4 Ma.
Body size: c. 25-60 kg. Height: c. 3'3" to 5'7".
Very dimorphic, females c. 65% of male body weight.
Brain size: Small (ape range): 400-500 cc.
Teeth: Large dimorphic canines, diastema sometimes present, incisors fairly large, molarized premolars, molars large, low crowned with thick enamel, tooth rows converge at rear, third molar smaller than first and second molars.
Skull: Prognathic, nuchal crest & sagittal supraorbital torus in males, foramen magnum placed anteriorly.
Postcrania: Bipedalfeatures: Human-like carrying angle of knee, shallow broad pelvis, big toe in line with other toes. Other features indicate possible climbing ability: Long forearms, curved finger & toe bones, upward-facing shoulder socket.
Tools: None.
Habitat: Woodland & semiarid savanna.
Sites: South African caves. Taung, Sterkfontein, Makapansgat.
Fossils: Many individuals, cranial, dental and postcranial remains.
Taung: Nearly complete juvenile cranium.
STS 5: Nearly complete adult cranium (Sterkfontein; "Mrs. Ples").
Dates: 2.8-2.3 Ma.
Brain size: Small (ape range): < 450 cc.
Body size: Similar to A. afarensis: Dimorphic, c. 25 - 40 kg.
Teeth: Parabolic dental arcade, large molars & premolars with thick enamel, small incisors & canines, no diastema.
Skull: "Dish-shaped" face, canine pillar, foramen magnum placed anteriorly, no sagittal crest on most specimens.
Postcrania: Similar to A. afarensis.
Tools: None.
Habitat: Semiarid savanna.
Sites: South African caves. Kromdraai, Swartkraans.
Fossils: Many individuals, cranial, dental & postcranial remains.
Dates: 1.8 - 1.6 Ma.
Brain size: c. 550-600 cc.
Body size: Dimorphic, females c. 30 kg; males c. 40 kg.
Teeth: Parabolic dental arcade, very large molars & premolars with thick enamel, very small incisors & canines, no diastema, massive jaws, flat tooth wear.
Skull: Low forehead, prominent sagittal crest in males, flat bony face, no canine pillar, large supraorbital torus in males, flaring zygomatic arch, foramen magnum placed anteriorly.
Postcrania: Similar to other Australopithecines, bipedal. Fingers capable of fine manipulation necessary for tool making.
Tools: Oldowan (but Homo present in same cave deposits).
Habitat: Semiarid savanna, locally wooded conditions.
Sites: East African Rift Valley. Olduvai, Tanzania; Koobi Fora & West Turkana, Kenya.
Fossils: Many specimens, mostly cranial & dental.
OH 5: Olduvai Gorge Bed I, adult male cranium ("Zinjanthropus")
KNM-ER 406: Adult male cranium
KNM-ER 732: Adult female cranium.
Dates: 1.8 - 0.96 Ma.
Brain size: Small c. 400-500 cc.
Body size: Very dimorphic, maximum 70 kg; females c. 70% male body weight.
Teeth: Parabolic dental arcade, extremely large molars & premolars with thick enamel, extremely small incisors & canines, no diastema, very massive jaws, flat tooth wear.
Skull: Massive cranium, low forehead, very prominent sagittal & nuchal crests, flat bony face, large subraorbital torus, extremely flaring zygomatic arch, no canine pillar, heart-shaped foramen magnum, placed anteriorly.
Postcrania: Similar to other Australopithecines, bipedal.
Tools: Oldowan (but Homo present in same deposits).
Habitat: Semiarid savanna, locally wooded conditions.
Sites: East African Rift Valley. West Turkana, Kenya; Omo, Ethiopia.
Fossils: A few relatively complete crania, teeth & jaws.
KNM-WT 17000 ("Black skull") adult male cranium
KNM-WT 17400 juvenile male partial cranium.
Dates: 2.6-2.4 Ma.
Body size: Similar to A. boisei, very dimorphic.
Brain size: small, c. 400 cc.
Teeth: Very large posterior teeth, small anterior teeth, massive jaws, third molar smaller than first and second molars, flat tooth wear, tooth rows converge at rear.
Skull: Very prognathic, very flared zygomatics, very prominent compound sagittal & nuchal crests in male, flat cranial base, heart-shaped foramen magnum.
Postcrania: None described. Tools: None.
Habitat: Semiarid savanna, locally wooded conditions.
Sites: East African Rift Valley. Olduvai, Tanzania; Koobi Fora, Kenya.
Fossils: Numerous cranial, dental & postcranial specimens.
OH 7: mandible, parietal fragments, hand bones.
OH 8: Nearly complete foot.
OH 62: Partial skeleton.
KNM-ER 1805, KNM-ER 1813: Partial crania.
Dates: 1.9 - 1.6 Ma.
Brain size: Large, > 600 cc.
Body size: 40 - 50 kg, probably dimorphic.
Teeth: Parabolic dental arcade, large incisors & canines, no diastema, molars & premolars smaller than Australopithecus, molars & premolars narrow.
Skull: Thin bones of cranial vault, high forehead, large braincase, no sagittal crest, flat bony face, small supraorbital torus, foramen magnum placed anteriorly.
Postcrania: Long forelimbs, hand with ape-like features, foot with adaptations for climbing.
Tools: Oldowan.
Habitat: Semiarid savanna, locally wooded conditions.
Sites: East African Rift Valley. Koobi Fora, Kenya.
Fossils: Cranial, dental & postcranial specimens.
KNM-ER 1470: Nearly complete cranium.
Date: c. 1.9 Ma.
Brain size: Large, c. 750 cc.
Body size: ? c. 50 kg, probably dimorphic.
Teeth: Large incisors & canines, molars & premolars broad.
Skull: No supraorbital torus, face orthognathic (not prognathic).
Postcrania: Femur & foot like later Homo, no climbing adaptation.
Tools: None associated with fossils, but possibly made Oldowan tools.
Habitat: Semiarid savanna, locally wooded conditions.