THE FIRST SKULL OF AUSTRALOPITHECUS-BOISEI

Australopithecus boisei was first described from a cranium recovered i n 1959 from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania(1,2). This and subsequent finds, m ostly from Kenya's Turkana basin(3-5), resulted in its characterizatio n as a specialized Australopithecus species with a hyper-robust mastic atory apparatus(2,4,6). A distinct A. boisei facial morphology has bee n emphasized to differentiate robust Australopithecus lineages from Ea st and South Africa(6). A preference for closed and/or wet habitats ha s been hypothesizes. Here we report some new A. boisei specimens, incl uding the taxon's first cranium and associated mandible, from Konso, E thiopia These fossils extend the known geographical range of A. boisei . They provide clear evidence for the coexistence of A. boisei and Hom o erectus within a predominantly dry grassland environment. The A. boi sei specimens from Konso demonstrate considerable morphological variat ion within the species. The unexpected combination of cranial and faci al features of this skull cautions against the excessive taxonomic spl itting of early hominids based on morphological detail documented in s mall and/or geographically restricted samples.