This is a museum quality reproduction of an Australopithecus africanus skull also known as the Taung Child from the Pliocene Age (2 million years). Certain fossils are just too costly and some are one-of-a-kind specimens that can only be viewed at museums. This fossil reproduction is an exact copy, cast in resin directly from the actual fossil itself. The replica Skull and measures 145mm long. This is a sculpture taken from the original skull.
Au. africanus was anatomically similar to Au. afarensis, with a combination of human-like and ape-like features. Compared to Au. afarensis, Au. africanus had a rounder cranium housing a larger brain and smaller teeth, but it also had some ape-like features including relatively long arms and a strongly sloping face that juts out from underneath the braincase with a pronounced jaw. Like Au. afarensis, the pelvis, femur (upper leg), and foot bones of Au. africanus indicate that it walked bipedally, but its shoulder and hand bones indicate they were also adapted for climbing,
History of Discovery:
The Taung child, found in 1924, was the first to establish that early fossil humans occurred in Africa. After Prof. Raymond Dart described it and named the species Australopithecus africanus (meaning southern ape of Africa), it took more than 20 years for the scientific community to widely accept Australopithecus as a member of the human family tree.
Height: Males: average 138 cm (4 ft 6 in); Females: average 115 cm (3 ft 9 in)
Weight: Males: average 41 kg 90 lbs (90 lbs); Females: average 30 kg 66 lb (66 lb)
Price: £220.00
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