Paranthropus robustus


Paranthropus robustus Also known as Australopithecus robustus and Australopithecus crassidens

Paranthropus robustus was originally discovered in Southern Africa in 1938. The development of robustus, namely in cranial features, seemed to be aimed in the direction of a "heavy-chewing complex." Because of the definitive traits that are associated with this robust line of early hominids, Robert Broom placed P. robustus into the genus Paranthropus. Paranthropus robustus is generally dated to between 2.6 and 1 million years.
The Fossils:

From Drimolen, South Africa:

	DNH 7 "Eurydice" (Skull) ~ By Andre Keyser in 1994 at Drimolen Cave, South Africa ~Dated to between 1.5- 2.0 million years picture and resource credit

	DNH 8 "Orpheus" (Male, Lower Jaw) ~ By Andre Keyser in 1994 at Drimolen Cave, South Africa ~Dated to between 1.5- 2.0 million years picture credit

From Swartkrans, South Africa:

	SK 6 Mandible

	SK 12 Cranium

	SK 13/14 Cranium

	SK 23 Mandible ~ By Broom and Robinson in 1952 at Swartkrans ~Dated to between 1.5- 2.0 million years

	SK 34 Mandible

	SK 46 Cranium ~ Discovered by Broom & Robinson between 1949- 1952 at Swartkrans, South Africa ~Dated to 1.5- 2.0 million years

	SK 47 Cranium

	SK 48 Cranium ~ By Broom and Robinson in 1952 at Swartkrans ~Dated to between 1.5- 2.0 million years picture credit

	SK 49 Cranium

	SK 52 Cranium

	SK 54 Juvenile skull With Teeth Markings in Parietal

	SK 55 Cranium

	SK 65 Cranium

	SK 79 Cranium

	SK 83 Cranium

	SK 848 Cranium

	SK 1586 Mandible

	SKW 5 Mandible

	SKW 8 Cranium

	SKW 11 Cranium

	SKW 29 Cranium

	SKW 2581 Cranium

	SKX 265 Cranium

	SKX 4446 Mandible

	SKX 5013 Mandible

From Kromdraai, South Africa:

	Tm 1517 a&b Fragmentary Maxilla (a) and Mandible (b) ~ Discovered by Robert Broom at Kromdraai, South Africa in 1938 ~Dated to 2.0 million years ~ "A" is represented on the top at the left, and in the below 2 pictures. "B" is represented at the bottom at the left. ~TM 1517 is the type specimen for Paranthropus robustus picture and reference credit


Click here to continue with Homo habilis Click here to see other Southern African fossil hominid specimens Click here to return to the main page

A. ramidus ~ A. anamensis ~ A. afarensis ~ A. africanus ~ A. gahri ~ A. bahrelghazali ~ P. boisei ~ P. aethiopicus ~ P. robustus ~ H. habilis ~ H. rudolfensis ~ H. erectus ~ H. ergaster ~ H. antecessor ~ H. heidelbergensis ~ H. neanderthalensis ~ H. sapiens
Southern Africa ~ Eastern Africa ~ North Central Africa ~ Asia ~ Europe/Northwestern Africa

Steven Heslip ~ 2001 ~ heslipst@msu.edu