Morphology and affinities of new hominin cranial remains from Member 4 of the Sterkfontein Formation, Gauteng Province, South Africa.
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.
Lockwood
Charles A
CA
Institute of Human Origins and Department of Anthropology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA. cal@asu.edu
Tobias
Phillip V
PV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D005580:Fossils; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010159:Palate / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010161:Paleodontology; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013019:South Africa