Paranthropus
Paranthropus aethiopicus
"Black Skull"
2.7–2.3 Ma·400 ka·Discovered 1985
Description
KNM-WT 17000, the "Black Skull" named for its dark mineralization. Massive sagittal crest — the earliest and most primitive of the robusts.
Notable facts
- Its black color comes from manganese in the soil
- Sagittal crest anchored huge chewing muscles
- Lived alongside A. afarensis and early Homo
- Initiates the robust lineage
Key specimens
KNM-WT 17000
"Black Skull"
Cranium mineralized black by manganese. Found by Alan Walker in 1985 at West Turkana.
Anatomy
Tiny brain, enormous face, prominent sagittal crest.
Locomotion
Bipedal.
Diet
Hard-object specialist: tubers, nuts, roots.
Where to see it
Nairobi National Museum.
Media & references
Image ·
Wikimedia Commons · Wikipedia article
Walker, Leakey, Harris & Brown (1986). 2.5-Myr Australopithecus boisei from west of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Nature.
doi: 10.1038/322517a0 ↗