H.rudolfensis


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 * What did your hominin look like. Describe physical characteristics. || Insert a picture of your hominin annotating your diagram ||
 * Behaviours || Identify the behaviours of your hominin that you discovered. What they ate? How they communicated.... ||
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__**// Homo Rudolfensis //**__

**__ORIGINS OF THE HOMO RUDOLFENSIS __**
 * The Homo Rudolfensis was discovered by Richard Leakey's team in 1972.
 * The fossil has been found in Urhara, Malawi and Lake Turkana in Kenya.
 * They lived in Eastearn Africa (northern Kanya, possible northern Tanzania and Malawi).
 * The species name 'Rudolfensis' comes from the location where they were found, which is Lake Turkana -> East __Rudolf__ -> Kenya.
 * They lived 2.4 to 1.8 million years ago.

** __PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS__ **

=
The Homo Rudolfensis had a longer face, larger brain-case, larger molar and premolar teeth compared to the Homo Habilis (which is what the Homo Rudolfensis was originally considered to be.) ===== __** Brain **__
 * Average size of about 750cc[[image:homininevolution/First-Humans-Were-More-Ape-Like-than-Human-Like-2.jpg align="right" caption="Homo Rudolfensis Model"]]

__ ** Height & Weight ** __
 * Average stature: 160 cm (m); 150cm (f)
 * Average body mass: 60kg (m); 51kg (f)

__ ** Body Size & Shape ** __
 * General lack of postcranial remains makes size assessment difficult.
 * The larger teeth and skulls compared to Homo habilis suggest it may be largerthan this species.

__ ** Jaws and teeth ** __
 * Large molars and broader lower molars
 * Complex crowns and roots
 * Square upper jaw

__ ** Limbs ** __
 * Limb proportions unknown because of lack of skeletal material.
 * Assumed to be bipedal but without the ability to move in a fully human locomotion

__**Skull**__
 * relatively flat and long face (although more recent reconstructions debate this and suggest the face was more protruding))
 * small brow ridge
 * lack of crests and heavy muscle markings that are found in australopithecine skulls.
 * has a long face that is widest in the middle.

**__BEHAVIOURS__**  **__Diet__**   Limited studies have been done on the diet of this species, but the tooth shape and comparisons to other species suggests plant material and probably meat were eaten.

**__ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION __** ** The //Homo habilis// and //Homo rudolfensis// debate ** Scientists often disagree about naming fossil specimens. Scientific names may be changed following new discoveries, different interpretations or new lines of investigation. //Homo habilis// is a well-known but poorly defined species and scientific opinions about the attributed specimens vary widely. Two specimens at the centre of the debate are KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 1813.

KNM-ER 1470 (discovered 1972) KNM-ER 1813 (discovered 1973) The differences between KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 1813 can be interpreted in various ways. ~They are different sexes: other things being equal, large bodied individuals have a bigger head and brain than small individuals. KNM-ER 1813 may be a female and KNM-ER 1470 may be a male of //Homo habilis.// However, they do not differ from each other in the sort of ways that males and females of modern apes (including humans) differ from one another. ~They are different species: many scientists claim that 1813 and 1470 represent two species, or even two genera. Suggestions include //Australopithecus africanus//, //Homo habilis// and //Homo rudolfensis//. The discovery of a skull of //Kenyanthropus platyops// in 1999, and its similarity to KNM-ER 1470, has led some to consider reclassifying KNM-ER 1470 into the //Kenyanthropus// genus. __**Bibliography:**__  **// Reference 1 //** "Homo rudolfensis." //Human Evolution by The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program//. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. . ** Reference 2 ** "Homo rudolfensis - Australian Museum." //Australian Museum - nature, culture, discover - Australian Museum//. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. . ** Reference 3 ** "Homo rudolfensis | eFossils Resources." //main | eFossils Resources//. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. .
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">about 1.7 million years old
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">large brain, about 750-800ml
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">teeth not preserved; roots and sockets suggest they were large, as in //Australopithecus//, with larger molars than other //Homo habilis// specimens
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">square upper jaw
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">slightly developed brow ridge
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">face large and flat and longer than KNM-ER 1813 (although this is now questioned)
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">about 1.7 million years old
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">small brain, about 500ml
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">small upper jaw with human-like teeth
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">rounded upper jaw
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">strongly developed brow ridge
 * <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">face small and not very flat