Australopithecus boisei skull, KNM ER 406  (1.7 million years)

The Australopithecus boisei skull KNM-ER 406 (male) was discovered by R. Leakey at Koobi Fora, Kenya, in 1969.  This discovery helped to shed light on the controversial hypothesis that all australopithecines were of the same species, and tended to support the classification of boisei as a separate species of Australopithecus.  A comparison of KNM-ER 406 and KNM-ER 732 revealed that australopithecines were sexually dimorphic.  Some of the features possessed by this skull are sagittal and nuchal crests (missing in KNM-ER 732), massive cheek teeth, and widely flaring cheekbones, giving the face a dish shape.  An interesting feature of this specimen is a little hole on the frontal bone, which may be rare evidence in early hominids of bone disease.  The cranium is virtually complete and has a capacity of 510cm³.

Stand available - see product code SBH006.

Model size: 19(L) x 17(W) x 16(H) cm

The Bone Clones® Hominid Series

Our aim is to provide the best possible facsimile models of the most important hominid finds for the general public, educators and students, using the best reference material available.  Each hominid has been carefully researched and re-created based on some or all of the following: casts of original fossils, the latest literature (descriptions and/or published measurements), input from the scientific community and full colour, life-size photographs.  Every effort has been made to accurately re-create anatomical details of colour, size, shape, reconstructed areas, and bone/fossil texture.  The hominids offered in this series are high quality, artistic recreations that can be advantageously used by educators as important visual aids in the classroom and appreciated by the general public.  They are not intended for advanced graduate work nor to be measured for research purposes.

(Information courtesy Bone Clones, Inc)