ENDOCRANIAL CAPACITY IN AN EARLY HOMINID CRANIUM FROM STERKFONTEIN, SOUTH-AFRICA

Citation
Gc. Conroy et al., ENDOCRANIAL CAPACITY IN AN EARLY HOMINID CRANIUM FROM STERKFONTEIN, SOUTH-AFRICA, Science, 280(5370), 1998, pp. 1730-1731
Citations number
10
Categorie Soggetti
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
00368075
Volume
280
Issue
5370
Year of publication
1998
Pages
1730 - 1731
Database
ISI
SICI code
0036-8075(1998)280:5370<1730:ECIAEH>2.0.ZU;2-3
Abstract
Two- and three-dimensional computer imaging shows that endocranial cap acity in an similar to 2.8- to 2.6-million-year-old early hominid cran ium (Stw 505) from Sterkfontein, South Africa, tentatively assigned to Australopithecus africanus, is similar to 515 cubic centimeters. Alth ough this is the largest endocranial capacity recorded for this specie s, it is still markedly less than anecdotal reports of endocranial cap acity exceeding 600 cubic centimeters. No australopithecine has an end ocranial capacity approaching, let alone exceeding, 600 cubic centimet ers. Some currently accepted estimates of early hominid endocranial ca pacity may be inflated, suggesting that the tempo and mode of early ho minid brain evolution may need reevaluation.