Bodies of Evidence
Case studies
Taung Child
Was Taung Child our ancestor?
In 1924, a fossilised child's skull was found in a quarry at Taung in
South Africa. Professor Raymond Dart discovered that it had several features
that were more human than ape-like: the face was flatter, the head rounder
and the brain larger. Most significantly, in Taung Child the foramen
magnum – the hole in the skull through which the spinal cord
passes – was towards the front of the skull, indicating that this
creature stood on two legs. In a four-legged creature, the foramen
magnum is further back.
Dart classified the specimen as Australopithecus africanus (man-ape
of southern Africa). But the scientific establishment was very critical
because of its prejudiced belief that humans originated in Europe. The
discovery in England of Piltdown Man
in 1912 supported this view – until it was revealed to be a hoax.
In 1936 and 1947, more Australopithecus fossils were found, proving
Dart right: early humans did originate in Africa about 2-3 million years
ago.
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Taung Child
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