title: Earliest Pleistocene hominid cranial remains from Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia: taxonomy, geological setting, and age.
abstract: Archaeological excavations at the site of Dmanisi in the Republic of Georgia have uncovered two partial early Pleistocene hominid crania. The new fossils consist of a relatively complete cranium and a second relatively complete calvaria from the same site and stratigraphic unit that yielded a hominid mandible in 1991. In contrast with the uncertain taxonomic affinity of the mandible, the new fossils are comparable in size and morphology with Homo ergaster from Koobi Fora, Kenya. Paleontological, archaeological, geochronological, and paleomagnetic data from Dmanisi all indicate an earliest Pleistocene age of about 1.7 million years ago, supporting correlation of the new specimens with the Koobi Fora fossils. The Dmanisi fossils, in contrast with Pleistocene hominids from Western Europe and Eastern Asia, show clear African affinity and may represent the species that first migrated out of Africa.
authors.affiliation: Republic of Georgia National Academy of Sciences, Tbilisi, 380007, Republic of Georgia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gabunia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vekua
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lordkipanidze
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Swisher
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferring
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Justus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nioradze
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tvalchrelidze
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Antón
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosinski
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jöris
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lumley
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Majsuradze
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mouskhelishvili
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005580:Fossils; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D005846:Georgia (Republic); D049690:History, Ancient; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010161:Paleodontology; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*