Also known as Australopithecus robustus
Sites: South Africa: Swartkrans, Dreimolen, and Kromdraai Age: approximately 2.0 to 1.0 mya Type specimen: SK 48 (Swartkrans) Specimens: SK 47, TM 1517, SK 84, SK 50 etc. Cranial capacity: 530 cm3 Cranial architecture: Distinguished from other robust australopithecines by:
Features common to robust australopithecines and different from A. afarensis & africanus include:
Dentition: Distinguished from other robust australopithecines by:
Postcranial: Similar to A. africanus and A. boisei Environment: Length and weight: 32 to 40 kg, 110 to 130 cm. Tools: Possible use of hammerstones to break open bones and access fat/marrow etc. Ancestor: A. africanus Descendants: None General: Dental morphology of A. robustus is less specialized than later A. boisei specimens, clearly apparent in less robust facial architecture. Diet is more eclectic and omnivorous than that of the East Africans. |