The skull of the Taung Child.
Bernhard Zipfel/© University of the Witwatersrand
Using a method applied directly to ancient hominin teeth, researchers have calculated the age of several important fossils.
The fossilised skull of a young Australopithecus africanus, known as the Taung Child, is among South Africa’s most famous fossils.
Image courtesy of PAST
Palaeontological finds offer a compelling and profound way to think about our place in nature.
A study of “Mrs” Ples’ tooth sockets has made scientists think differently about “her” sex.
Ditsong National Museum of Natural History
This new research offers compelling proof that the naysayers were right. “Mrs” Ples was actually a “Mr”.
A replica of a Homo naledi skull.
GCIS/Flickr
New evidence suggests that Homo naledi didn’t deliberately deposit their dead in a hidden chamber.
Professor Lee Berger from the University of the Witwatersrand holding the skull of Homo Naledi.
EPA/Shiraaz Mohamed
The big question being asked is: where does Homo naledi fit in the evolutionary tree? Assessing the similarity or dissimilarity between fossil skulls has provided a possible clue to the answer.