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Australopithecus sediba
Article By:
de Klerk, Bonita School of Geosciences and Institute for Human Evolution, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
de Ruiter, Darryl J. Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
Churchill, Steven E. Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Berger, Lee R. School of Geosciences and Institute for Human Evolution, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Last reviewed:2012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB120252
The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Area is located northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. This world heritage locale encompasses 47,000 hectares (116,000 acres) and contains many hominin-bearing sites. The most recently discovered site, Malapa, represents an especially rich early-hominin locality. Malapa is situated roughly 15 km (9.3 mi) north-northeast of the well-known sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, and Kromdraai. Malapa contains partially articulated skeletal remains of several individuals of a newly recognized species, Australopithecus sediba, as well as abundant, well-preserved fauna. The discovery and geological setting of Au. sediba and the potential taxonomic and phylogenetic implications of this new hominin taxon are described herein.
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