PARANTHROPUS ROBUSTUS

PARANTHROPUS ROBUSTUS

By Oyana Marty and Héloïse Lugbull

You are not going to believe it !

To learn more through a video , click right here !

table of contents

The discovery of Paranthropus Robustus What sort of remains do we have ? Where and when did they live ? Caracteristics How are they studied ? Quizz

Discovery

In 1938, Robert Broom discovered the first Paranthropus robustus material at the site of Kromdraai in South Africa and then other fossils were found in different prehistoric sites such as Drimolen, Gauteng or Swartkrans

What sort remains do we have?

1. Cranial Remains with several well-preserved skulls (for example DNH 7, TM 1517), large brow ridges, a sagittal crest (in males), and a robust face 2. Dental Remains such as many isolated teeth, jaw fragments, thick enamel and large molars 3. Body Bones such as an articulating leg, including hipbone, thigh bone, and shin bone, that offers for the first time, deeper insights into the species’ body size, stature, posture, and locomotion.

When and where ?

Paranthropus Robustus lived about 1.8 to 1.2 million years ago in South Africa They lived in a mixed savanna environment with grasslands, woodlands, and river valleys andlikely shared the landscape with early Homo species, large herbivores, and predators like leopards and hyenas

FUN FACT

Caracteristics

they were upright walkers that had : - very large megadont cheek teeth with thick enamel - large zygomatic arches - a large sagittal crest - a robust skull - a characteristically wide, dish-shaped face

How are they studied ?

There is still not much information about Paranthropus Robustus therefore the investigation of the fossils continue with CT-scan analyses that creates detailed internal view of fossils without damaging them helping the study of internal bone structures, which will provide additional information on the growth and developmental patterns of Paranthropus robustus

There are still unanswered questions about Paranthropus robustus that we hope will be answered with future discoveries In the meantime, here is a little quiz to make sure you payed attantion !

African hominin timeline (in mya)

You may ask yourself, where does this name come from ?

The species' name robustus comes from the Latin word for 'strongly built' and refers to its large, thick skull and jaw bones and not the size of his body. However the species was originally called Australopithecus robustus