18th Sept: join a small group led by scientist Morris Sutton to see Swartkrans, one of the Cradle of Humankind’s richest fossil sites, usually closed to the public. Swartkrans has yielded the largest sample of Paranthropus robustus, and contains evidence of the earliest use of controlled fire in Southern Africa, dating back 1-million years. I went on this tour this time last year and loved it. See blog post http://lizatlancaster.co.za/blog/cradle-of-humankind-fascinating-tour-of-our-origins 

The specimens found are a juvenile male and an adult female. The species has long arms, like an ape, short powerful hands, a very advanced pelvis (hip bone) and long legs capable of striding and possibly running like a human. It is likely that they could have climbed. “It is estimated that they were both about 1.27 metres, although the child would certainly have grown taller. The female probably weighed about 33 kilograms and the child about 27 kilograms at the time of his death,” adds Prof. Berger. “The brain size of the juvenile was between 420 and 450 cubic centimetres, which is small (when compared to the human brain of about 1200 to 1600 cubic centimetres) but the shape of the brain seems to be more advanced than that of australopithecines.”

The fossils are owned by the people of South Africa, and curated by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. They will be on public display at Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind until the 18th of April 2010, will move to Cape Town for the launch of Palaeo-Sciences Week from the 19th of April and will again be on public display at the Wits Origins Centre during May, on dates to be announced shortly.

 Chris Thurman enagaged in conversation with Prof Philip Tobias world-renowned paleo-anthroplogist at the Boekehuis this Saturday.  In addition to his ground breaking work with hominids, Tobias has also been very influential as an anatomist, a geneticist, is an expert on medic-legal ethics and  … is a keen lover of cricket!  With a twinking eye and a razor sharp sense of humour and irony, Tobias spoke about the background to a book on his life published in 2008:  Tobias in Converstion Genes Fossils and Anthropology .  The first part of Tobias’  autobiography Into the Past A Memoir was published in 2005. Tobias is currently working on the 2nd part of his life .. from the age of 40 onwards.   A remarkable record of a remarkable man.

On April 10, Maropeng and iHominin will give budding palaeontologists a rare opportunity to explore a 1.5-million-year-old fossil site. Cooper’s Cave, 1.2km from the famous Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg, is a relatively newly discovered fossil site, where several species of animals and a number of stone tools have been found. The day’s activities include an interactive fossil and site talk, exploring a cave, a chance to look for fossils, and learning how to make stone tools. This is a must-do for adults and children with an interest in palaeontology and archaeology. Remember to pack a hat, apply sunscreen and wear comfortable walking shoes – oh, and bring your camera! The price is R350 per person and it includes a light picinic lunch. The tour will start at 09h00. For more information, contact Maropeng on +27 (0) 14 577 9000 or e-mail: info@maropeng.co.za.

Upcoming Cooper’s Cave picnics: 01 May and 08 June

Descending to look at the underground dig

Another great opportunity here in Jozi.  Yesterday, two friends and I visited Swartkrans, near Sterkfontein in the Cradle of  Humankind.   What a wonderful day!  One of South Africa’s 8 World Heritage sites, the Cradle is rich with fossil-bearing cave deposits spread over 13 different sites .  Fossils from several of these sites give us information about  development of hominids over the last 3.5 million years. Swartkrans has yielded specimens of both Australopithacus (3 million years ago) and Homo Egaster (1 million years ago). Swartkrans is also a site which shows one of the earliest indications that hominids controlled fire and  many stone and bone tools have been found here.  Morris Sutton of Wits Archeological Department who is working the site, took the tour of only 12 people.

Looking down on the site of Swartkrans

He gave fascinating insights into a whole range of information: how the caves are made with the fossil rich breccia, the researchers in the field of paeleoanthropology and the significance of their various findings, the controversies and contested theories of the origins of homo sapiens, the dating methods, the research questions posed, and much more besides. After a fascinating 2 and half hours both on the edges of the dig and down in the underground sections, we were led back half-way down the hill to find a fabulous spread for lunch which had been set out al fresco.

What a fitting end to a very special morning.  Two tours a year are run to Swartkrans but here are more run at the Sterkfontien site. Well worth a visit!