Fossil:

Taung Child

Source: Casts of original fossil

Site:

Buxton Limeworks
Taung, South Africa (1)

Discovered By:

M. de Bruyn
1924 (1)

Estimated Age of Fossil:

2.3 mya
* determined by Faunal & geomorphological data (1, 4, 5)

Species Name:

Australopithecus africanus (1, 3, 7, 8)

Gender:

Unknown (1)

Cranial Capacity:

405 (440 as adult) cc (1, 3)

Information:

First early hominid fossil found in Africa (7, 8)

Interpretation:

Juvenile (3 years old based on deciduous teeth, first permanent molars) (1, 3, 4, 7)
Bipedal hominid (based on position of foramen magnum, brain endocast, small canines) (1, 3, 4, 7)
Killed possibly by bird of prey (based on fractures and puncture marks on skull) (1, 10)