Discuss major species of Australopithecus discovered from South and East Africa. Describe the discovery, physical features and significance of Taung baby.

Major Species of Australopithecus Discovered from South and East Africa

Several important species of Australopithecus have been discovered, mainly from South and East Africa:

1. Australopithecus afarensis (East Africa)

   • Famous fossils: "Lucy" (discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia, 1974) and Laetoli footprints (Tanzania).
   • Lived around 3.9–2.9 million years ago.
   • Features: Small brain (about 400–500 cc), human-like pelvis and leg bones indicating bipedalism, but still had curved fingers suggesting some tree-climbing.

2. Australopithecus africanus (South Africa)

   • Famous fossils: Taung Child, Mrs. Ples (from Sterkfontein).
   • Lived around 3–2 million years ago.
   • Features: Larger brain than afarensis (~450–550 cc), smaller teeth, more rounded skull, and bipedal walking.

3. Australopithecus anamensis (East Africa)

   • Discovered in Kenya and Ethiopia.
   • Lived around 4.2–3.9 million years ago.
   • Features: Very primitive skull and teeth, evidence of bipedalism.

4. Australopithecus sediba (South Africa)

   • Discovered at Malapa (South Africa) in 2008.
   • Lived around 2 million years ago.
   • Features: Mix of primitive (ape-like) and modern (human-like) traits, important for understanding the transition to Homo genus.

5. Australopithecus garhi (East Africa)

   • Discovered in Ethiopia.
   • Lived around 2.5 million years ago.
   • Features: Associated with possible use of stone tools, showing an important link to later human ancestors.

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Discovery, Physical Features, and Significance of Taung Baby

Discovery:

• The Taung Child fossil was discovered in 1924 at Taung, South Africa.
• It was found by a quarry worker and later described by anatomist Raymond Dart.
• The fossil consists of a skull and an endocast (a natural cast of the brain).

Physical Features:

• Age at death: About 3 to 4 years old.
• Brain size: Around 400 cc, relatively large for its age compared to apes.
• Small, human-like teeth and a lightly built face.
• The foramen magnum (the hole where the spinal cord connects to the brain) was positioned underneath the skull, indicating bipedalism (upright walking).
• The skull combined both ape-like and human-like traits: small brain but reduced facial projection and small canine teeth.

Significance:

• The Taung Child was the first evidence that early human ancestors came from Africa, not Europe or Asia as previously thought.
• It provided strong proof that bipedalism evolved before large brain size — a major shift in understanding human evolution.
• Although initially met with skepticism, over time it became a cornerstone fossil for studying human origins.