Australopithecus anamensis -- KNM-KP 29281
Dublin Core
Title
Australopithecus anamensis -- KNM-KP 29281
Description
KNM-KP 29281 is a 4.1 million-year-old mandible from Kenya that has been designated as the type specimen for the species Australopithecus anamensis.
Fossil Item Type Metadata
Discoverer(s)
Peter Nzube
Type Specimen
KNM-KP 29281
Location (Country)
Kenya
Site (Name)
Kanapoi
Discovery Date
September 10, 1994
Specimen/Species Time Range
4.1 million years ago
Dating Method
40Ar/39Ar dating of the layer of volcanic ash the specimen was found in.
Specimen Data (Morphology)
This adult mandible, which contains all the teeth, is small, narrow, and has significantly straight and parallel tooth rows, similar to what is seen in Miocene ape mandibles. When examined from a lateral view, one can see that the specimen is missing both ascending rami. Additionally, the mandible has a mandibular torus--a bony buttress found along the lingual side of the premolars.
As for tooth morphology, KNM-KP 29281 has large molars, canines that are larger than those seen in later Australopithecines, a thick enamel, and a small canine/premolar diastema. These tooth morphologies give Au. anamensis a more primitive status among the Australopithecines.
As for tooth morphology, KNM-KP 29281 has large molars, canines that are larger than those seen in later Australopithecines, a thick enamel, and a small canine/premolar diastema. These tooth morphologies give Au. anamensis a more primitive status among the Australopithecines.
Related Publications
Johanson, Donald, and Blake Edgar. From Lucy to Language. New York, Nevraumont Publishing Company, 2006, pp. 129-30
Conroy, Glenn C., and Herman Pontzer. Reconstructing Human Origins: A Modern Synthesis. 3rd ed., New York & London, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2012, pp. 238-40.
Hefner, Joseph. "Australopithecus anamensis." Michigan State University, 23 Feb. 2012, East Lansing.
Images from:
Johanson, Donald, and Blake Edgar. From Lucy to Language. New York, Nevraumont Publishing Company, 2006, pp. 129-30
Conroy, Glenn C., and Herman Pontzer. Reconstructing Human Origins: A Modern Synthesis. 3rd ed., New York & London, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2012, pp. 238-40.
Hefner, Joseph. "Australopithecus anamensis." Michigan State University, 23 Feb. 2012, East Lansing.
Images from:
Johanson, Donald, and Blake Edgar. From Lucy to Language. New York, Nevraumont Publishing Company, 2006, pp. 129-30
- Date Added
- April 7, 2017
- Item Type
- Fossil
- Tags
- 1994, Australopithecus anamensis, Kanapoi, Kanapoi Kenya, Kenya, KNM-KP 29281, mandible, Meave Leakey, Peter Nzube
- Citation
- “Australopithecus anamensis -- KNM-KP 29281,” Hominid Fossil Repository, accessed May 28, 2022, http://projects.leadr.msu.edu/hominidfossils/items/show/40.