| Paranthropus Robustus |
Article Index for Paranthropus |
Information AboutParanthropus Robustus |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PARANTHROPUS ROBUSTUS | |
| african archaeology | |
| early hominids | |
| pleistocene mammals | |
| pliocene mammals | |
| pleistocene extinctions | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
''Paranthropus robustus'' was originally discovered in Southern Africa in 1938 . The development of ''P. robustus'', namely in Cranial features, seemed to be aimed in the direction of a "heavy-chewing complex". Because of the definitive traits that are associated with this robust line of Australopithecine , Anthropologist Robert Broom erected the genus '' Paranthropus '' and placed this species into it. ''Paranthropus robustus'' is generally dated to have lived between 2.0 and 1.2 million years ago. ''P. robustus'' had large dorsal crests, jaws, and jaw muscles that were adapted to serve in the dry environment that they lived in. After Raymond Dart ’s discovery of '' Australopithecus Africanus '', Broom had been in favour of Dart's claims about ''Australopithecus africanus'' being an ancestor of '' Homo Sapiens ''. Broom was a Scottish doctor then working in South Africa who began making his own excavation in Southern Africa to find more specimens, which Dart had found earlier. In 1938 at 70 years old, Broom excavating at Swartkrans, South Africa discovered pieces of a skull and teeth which resembled a lot like Dart's ''Australopithecus africanus'' find, but the skull had some "robust" characteristics. The fossils included parts of a skull and teeth; all dated to 2 million years old. Fossil sites found on ''Paranthropus robustus'' are found only in South Africa in Kromdraai and Swartkrans . In the caves near Swartkrans, the remains of 130 individuals were discovered. The study made on the dentation of the hominins revealed that the average ''P. robustus'' rarely lived past 17 years of age. ''Paranthropus robustus'' became the first "robust" species of hominid ever uncovered well before '' P. Boisei '' and '' P. Aethiopicus ''. Broom's first discovery of ''P. robustus'' had been the first discovery of a robust australopithecine and the second australopithecine after ''Australopithecus africanus'', which Dart discovered. Broom's work on the australopithecines showed that the evolution trail leading to ''Homo sapiens'' was not just a straight line, but was one of rich diversity. MORPHOLOGY Typical of Robust Australopithecine s, ''P. robustus'' had a head shaped a bit like a Gorilla 's with a more massive built jaw and teeth in comparison to hominins within the '' Homo '' lineage. Broom also noted the sagital crest that runs from the top of the skull acts as an anchor for large chewing muscles. The DNH 7 skull of ''Paranthropus robustus'', "Eurydice", was discovered in 1994 at the Drimolen Cave in Southern Africa by Andre Keyser, and is dated to 2.3 million years old, possibly belonging to a female. The teeth of these Primate s were larger and thicker than any Gracile Australopithecine found, due to the morphology differences Broom originally designated his find as ''Australopithecus robustus''. On the skull, a bony ridge is located above from the front to back indicating where the jaw muscles joined. ''P. robustus'' males may have stood only 4 feet tall and weighed 54 kg (120 lb) while females stood about 3 feet 2 inches tall and weighed only 40 kg (90 lb). Clearly there was a large sexual dimorphism between males and females. The teeth found on ''P. robustus'' are almost as large as those of ''P. boisei''. Broom analyzed his findings carefully and noted the differences in the molar teeth size which resembled a bit closer to a gorilla’s than to Human's. Other ''P. robustus'' remains have been found in Southern Africa. The average brain size of ''P. robustus'' measured to only 410 and 530 Cc , about as large as a Chimpanzee . ''P robustus'' had a diet of hard gritty foods such as nuts and tubers since they lived in open woodland and savanna. EXTERNAL LINKS
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