Australopithecus boisei, half scale skull

Nicknamed Nutcracker Man or Zinj, Australopithecus boisei was discovered by Dr. Mary Leakey in 1959 at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania.  Mary’s husband, Louis Leakey, named the specimen Zinjanthropus boisei (Zinj = eastern, anthropus = man, and boisei referring to Charles Boise, a financial backer of the Leakey’s research) and proclaimed it to be a direct ancestor of the modern human line.  Over the years, careful analysis of this hyper-robust hominid suggested that it represented an interesting Australopithecine variant but was not our direct ancestor.  Zinj had huge jaws and large molars (up to four times larger than modern human teeth).  These massive teeth, muscle attachments and jaws helped Zinj grind its vegetarian diet of tough plant stalks, seeds and fibres.  A. boisei lived from around 1.2 – 2.3 million years ago.  The restoration is based on Mary’s find, OH 5, combined with a mandible from a different site called Peninj that happens to fit the OH 5 skull quite well.

Also see the full sized hominid skull, BC015C.

Model size: 10.8(L) x 8.3(W) x 8.3(H) cm

The Bone Clones Half-Scale Series

Sculpted by anatomical sculptor Dr. Steve Wagner, and licensed exclusively to Bone Clones, these detailed miniature skulls accurately represent the osteological anatomy of 7 primate skulls:  Human, Gorilla, Chimpanzee and 4 early hominids.  Made of our custom formulated, durable, resin and expertly finished, these extraordinary miniature skulls feature all the detail of the originals.  Easily handled, and a convenient size for comparative study, the Bone Clones Half Scale Series skulls display beautifully and are a great teaching aid.

(Information courtesy Bone Clones, Inc)