Homo erectus: cranium

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Object Details

Discovered by

Bernard Ngeneo

Is this an original object?

Age

About 1.8 million years old

Summary

When fossil hunter Bernard Ngeneo came across the remains of this fossil, only the upper portion of the orbits were protruding from the ground. Excavation revealed one of the best preserved skulls of this time period, and one of the most striking early human fossils of any age.

KNM-ER 3733 represents a mature female of the early human species Homo erectus. The sex identification comes from a comparison of the anatomical features of her face with several other crania from Koobi Fora: KNM-ER 3883 (male), and KNM-WT 15000 (also male), found on the opposite side of Lake Turkana. The features of KNM-ER 3733 are markedly less robust. It's known to be an adult on the basis of the cranial sutures (which were fully closed), the extent of the wear on the teeth, and the eruption of the third molars before the individual's death.

Date of discovery

1975

Original Object Identifier

KNM-ER 3733

Site

Koobi Fora, Kenya

Location of Discovery

Koobi Fora, Kenya

Original Object Holding Institution

National Museums of Kenya (Kenya)

Species

Homo erectus

Data Source

NMNH - Anthropology Dept.

Metadata Usage

CC0

Record ID

dpo_3d_200047