title: Lower Pliocene hominid remains from Sterkfontein.
abstract: Cosmogenic aluminum-26 and beryllium-10 burial dates of low-lying fossiliferous breccia in the caves at Sterkfontein, South Africa, show that associated hominid fossils accumulated in the Lower Pliocene. These dates indicate that the skeleton StW 573 and newly discovered specimens from Jacovec Cavern have much the same age: approximately 4 million years. These specimens are thus of an age similar to Australopithecus anamensis from East Africa.
authors.affiliation: Sterkfontein Research Unit and Climatology Research Group, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa. tcp@iafrica.com
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Partridge
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Granger
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Caffee
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001608:Beryllium / Q000032:analysis; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002048:Burial; D002968:Clavicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005580:Fossils; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D049690:History, Ancient; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D006811:Humerus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007554:Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010161:Paleodontology; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013019:South Africa; D013995:Time; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology
chemical_list: D007554:Isotopes; D000535:Aluminum; D001608:Beryllium