The skull of a four million year old hominid has similarities to that of modern humans

A skull of a fossil four million years old, which in 1995 was described as the oldest evidence of the 'lorry'. Human evolution in South Africa, showed similarities with the skull of the extinct Australopithecus genus was found in the lower deposits of the Jacovec cave in the Sterkfontein caves, about 40 km northwest of Johannesburg in South Africa . Dr. Amelie Beaudet from the School of Geography, Archeology and Environmental Studies of the University of the Witwatersrand and colleagues from the Sterkfontein team scanned the skull at the 39; Evolutionary Studies Institute, based at the University of Witwatersrand, in 2016 and applied advanced imaging techniques in "virtual paleontology" to deepen the anatomy of the skull. Their research was funded by the Center for Excellence in Paleoscience, the Claude Leon Foundation and the French Institute of South Africa and was published in the Journal of Human Evolution .

"Jacovec's skull represents a unique opportunity to learn more about the biology and diversity of our ancestors and their loved ones and, ultimately, their evolution," Beaudet explains. "Unfortunately, the skull is very fragmentary and we can not say much about the identity and anatomy of the Jacovec specimen."

Using high-resolution scanning, researchers were able to quantitatively and non-invasively explore the internal anatomy of the Jacovec specimen and to report previously unknown information about the genus Australopithecus .

"Our study revealed that the skull of the Jacovec specimen and specimens Ausralopithecus of Sterkfontein in general was thick and composed mainly of cancellous bone," explains Beaudet. "This large part of the cancellous bone, also present in our own skull, may indicate that blood flow in the Australopithecus brain may be comparable to us, and / or that the brain plays an important role in changing brain protection. "

Comparing this skull to that of another extinct group of our family tree, Paranthropus, who lived in South Africa with early humans there are less than two million Years, their study revealed an intriguing and unexpected aspect of

"We also found that Paranthropus skull was relatively thin and composed mainly of compact bone, which is particularly interesting because it can suggest a different biology, "explains Beaudet. In the cradle of humanity, UNESCO World Heritage Site, South African paleontological sites have played a central role in the exploration of our origins. In particular, Sterkfontein Caves' site has been one of the most prolific fossil localities in Africa, with over 800 hominids representing 3 genera of hominids recovered since 1936, including the first adult Australopithecus, the 39; emblematic "Mrs Ples" and "Little Foot", the most complete skeleton of a still early hominid found

"The skull of Jacovec illustrates the relevance of Sterkfontein fossil specimens for our understanding of the Human evolution, "says Beaudet. "Imaging techniques open up unique perspectives for revisiting the bademblage of South African fossils."

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