| Paranthropus Boisei |
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Information AboutParanthropus Boisei |
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| name = ''Paranthropus boisei'' | fossil_range = Pliocene - Pleistocene | image = zinj3.jpg | image_width = 200px | image_caption = OH 5 | regnum = Animal ia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Mammal ia | ordo = Primates | familia = Hominidae | genus = '' Paranthropus '' | species = ''P. boisei'' | binomial = †''Paranthropus boisei'' | binomial_authority = ( Mary Leakey , 1959 ) }} ''Paranthropus boisei'' (originally called '''''Zinjanthropus boisei''''' and then '''''Australopithecus boisei''''' until recently) was an early Hominin and described as the largest of the '' Paranthropus '' species. It lived from about 2.6 until about 1.2 million years ago during the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras in Eastern Africa . Discovery First discovered by anthropologist Mary Leakey on July 1959 at Olduvai Gorge , Tanzania , the well-preserved cranium OH 5 nicknamed "''Nutcracker Man''" dates to 1.75 million years old and has distinctive traits from the Gracile Australopithecine s. Both Mary and her husband Louis Leakey classified the specimen as ''Zinjanthropus boisei''; "''boisei''" for Charles Boise, the anthropologists team’s funder at the time, "''zinj''" was an ancient word for East Africa , and "''anthropus''" meaning ape or ape-human. ''P. boisei'' proved to be a treasure especially when the anthropologists son Richard Leakey considered it to be the first hominin species to use stone tools. Another skull was unearthed in 1969 by Richard at Koobi Fora near the Lake Turkana region. Morphology and interpretations The Brain Volume is quite small, about 500 and 550 Cm³ , not much larger in comparison to '' Australopithecus Afarensis '' and '' Australopithecus Africanus ''. It had a skull highly specialized for heavy chewing and several traits seen in modern day Gorilla s. ''P. boisei'' inhabited the dry Savannah grasslands and woodland territories. Males weighed 68 Kg (150 Lb ) and stood 4 feet 3 inches (1.3 m) tall, while females weighed 45 kg (100 lb) and stood 3 feet 5 inches (1.05 m) tall. The average adult males were almost twice the weight and height as the females being the largest Sexual Dimorphism recorded out of any hominine. The back molar teeth reached about 4 times larger than in modern Human s. No stone tool implements have been found in direct association with ''P. boisei''; when first discovered Richard Leakey believed they had mastered tools. However, the first fossil of '' Homo Habilis '' proved to be one of the first to acquire tool technology. Previously Richard Leakey believed the species was a direct ancestor of '' Homo Sapiens '' but more modern analysis have changed the theory and place it on a separate evolutionary route unrelated to the genus '' Homo ''. Presently it is assumed that this species was not remarkable as to acquiring unique intelligence compared with more modern hominins. Instead the dentation (especially observed in the back molars and pre-molars) was built for tough chewing materials such as ground tubers, nuts and likely leaves in the grasslands. Fossils In 1993 , A. Amzaye found fossils of ''P. boisei'' at Kronso , Ethiopia . The partial skull's designation is KGA10-525 and is dated to 1.4 million years ago. It is the biggest skull specimen ever found of ''P. boisei''. It has been claimed as the only remains of the species found in Ethiopia; all others have been in other parts of Eastern Africa. The oldest specimen of ''P. boisei'' was found in Omo , Ethiopia and dates to 2.3 million years old classified as (L. 74a-21) while the youngest speciemen from Olduvai Gorge dates 1.2 million years old classified as OH 3 and OH 38. Other well preserved specimens
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