BOU-VP-12/1

BOU-VP-12/1

Exhibit item

Site: 

Bouri, Middle Awash, Ethiopia

Date of discovery: 

1999

Discovered by: 

A team led by Berhane Asfaw

Age: 

About 2.5 million years old

Species: 

Australopithecus garhi

This partial cranium, designated as the species’ holotype, is actually a set of fragments consisting of the front and side portions of the skull, the upper jaw, and upper teeth. The lower face is prognathic and the back teeth are very large with thick enamel. The estimated cranial capacity from the reconstructed cranium is 450 cubic centimeters, similar to other australopithecines.

Image Credit: Copyright Smithsonian Institution