Smallest Homo erectus skull discovered

[FfFfFfFF 58,131]

The skull, recovered in Ethiopia, sat a few miles from where they also found a similar, larger skull with slightly sturdier features, according to a report published this week in Science Advances. Archaeologists working on this project think these two skulls both came from the same kind of early human, H. erectus, and indicate that the species showed distinct differences between the sexes. 

Physical differences between males and females might speak to the early humans’ mating habits, writes study co-author Michael Rogers, an archaeologist with Southern Connecticut State University, in an email to Discover. 

Two excavations, each at slightly different parts of the same study area, recently revealed a skull each. The smaller set of skull fragments dates back to about 1.5 million years ago, while the larger cranial pieces are a little younger, about 1.25 million years old. Side by side, it’s obvious how different the two skulls are in size, Rogers says. Based on the size of the fragments, the archaeologists think the smaller skull held about 36 cubic inches in volume — whereas the larger version held about 50 to 55 cubic inches.  

The authors also acknowledge that it might be possible that the smaller skull belongs to a different species of early humans altogether. It’s also possible that, because there’s a quarter of a million years separating the two specimens, the younger, larger brain is a more evolved version of the smaller one.

The smallest Homo erectus cranium in Africa, and the diverse stone tools found at Gona, show that human ancestors were more varied, both physically and behaviorally, than previously known, according to the researchers. 

This physical diversity is mirrored by the stone tool technologies exhibited by the artifacts found in association with both crania. Instead of only finding the expected large handaxes or picks, signature tools of H. erectus, the Gona team found both well-made handaxes and plenty of less-complex Oldowan tools and cores.

Sources: 1, 2

[Queen Bitch 10,513]

I too am a homo erectus

 

Spoiler

I'll see myself out

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But seriously, I do think that's interesting

 

 

[herassisfamous 1,418]

In b4 it's a small penis

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

I've seen smaller...oh wait 

[AdmistTheLight 2,269]

Sad day for the homo