South Turkwel: A new Pliocene hominid site in Kenya

New fossils discovered south of the Turkwel River in northern Kenya include an associated metacarpal, capitate, hamate, lunate, pedal phalanx, mandibular fragment, and teeth. These fossils probably date to around 3·5 m.y.a. Faunal information suggests that the environment at South Turkwel was predom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of human evolution 1999-01, Vol.36 (1), p.69-95
Main Authors: Ward, C.V., Leakey, M.G., Brown, B., Brown, F., Harris, J., Walker, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Archaeological sites
Australopithecines
Fossils
Gorilla gorilla - anatomy & histology
History of medicine
History, Ancient
Hominidae - anatomy & histology
Hominids
Human evolution
Human paleontology
Humans
Kenya
Locomotion
Metacarpus - anatomy & histology
Methodology and general studies
Pan troglodytes - anatomy & histology
Pliocene
Prehistory and protohistory
South Turkwel, Kenya, Pliocene, hominids, hand bones
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Summary:New fossils discovered south of the Turkwel River in northern Kenya include an associated metacarpal, capitate, hamate, lunate, pedal phalanx, mandibular fragment, and teeth. These fossils probably date to around 3·5 m.y.a. Faunal information suggests that the environment at South Turkwel was predominantly bushland. The mandibular and dental remains are fragmentary, but the postcranial fossils are informative. Comparisons withAustralopithecus, modern human, chimpanzee and gorilla hand bones suggest that the Turkwel hominid was most likeAustralopithecus afarensisandA. africanus. Carpometacarpal articulations are intermediate between those of modern humans and African apes, suggesting enhanced gripping capabilities compared with extant apes. The hamulus was strikingly large, similar in proportion only to Neandertals and some gorillas, suggesting the presence of powerful forearms and hands. There are no indicators of adaptations to knuckle-walking or suspensory locomotion in the hand, and the pedal phalanx suggests that this hominid was habitually bipedal.
ISSN:0047-2484
1095-8606
DOI:10.1006/jhev.1998.0262