» Palaeontology

Become a bone detective ….

liz — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:33:39 +0000

The Maropeng Visitor Centre recently launched a new walking tour to give amateur paleoanthropologists insight into the exciting fossil record to be found in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. The new half-day tour called Bone Detectives is an introduction to human evolution and how fossils provides clues about our ancestors who lived millions of years ago. The tour is hosted by Brendon Billings, a young up-and-coming scientist from the University of Witwatersrand. Billings has always been passionate about the world around him and through these tours he is sharing his passion and knowledge with people interested in human heritage. The tour costs R350 per a person and includes a fun interactive learning session plus a tour of the Sterkfontein Caves followed by a delicious picnic buffet overlooking the beautiful World Heritage Site. To book phone Maropeng on +27 (0) 14 577 9000

Sediba Australopithecus goes on display again at Maropeng, Cradle of Humankind

liz — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:31:18 +0000

The fossils of Australopithecus sediba are to be exhibited once again at Maropeng, from September 9 to September 26. The adult female specimen, MH-2, will feature prominently in a new display called More secrets of sediba revealed, along with other fossils from the Malapa site in the Cradle of Humankind. There will be tours which will be led by one of the experts behind the new research and they will provide insights into some of the findings that have been made. The tour begins at 16h00 and costs R350 per person and will be followed by a dinner at Maropeng Hotel.

Caught the last day of Life of Bone – great exhibition of art meeting science at The Origins Centre, Wits

liz — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 10:12:37 +0000

The Taung skull – 2/5 million years old and very rarely displayed to the public, was on view at the Life of Bone exhibition which I just caught on the closing day last Tuesday 31st May. I had seen the tiny skull of the 3 year old displayed in its 3 parts at one if its rare public showings also at Wits, some 8 or so years ago. But this time it was displayed with the acutley honed aesthetic eye of two artists Karel Nel and Joni Brenner who curated the Life of Bone exhibition. As a result the impact of this tiny skull which is neither monkey, nor human, was quite extraordinary – it had a real presence: beautiful, poignant and humbling. Only the teeth are still classed as bone, the rest has turned to stone . The crystallized interior of the skull and the imprint of the brain left on the exterior of the once fossil, are both visually seductive and scientifically fascinating. The theme of the entire exhibition .. art meets science .. seemed to be encapsulated in this tiny Australopithecus Africanus skull, displayed with such senstivity to its powerful visual impact. If you missed the exhibition the accompanying book is available – it sells for R300 at the Origins Shop which is R50 less than it is selling for at Exclusive books. So get yourself a copy and now.

More tours of fossil sites in the Cradle of Humakind

liz — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:47:08 +0000

I blogged on the tours to Swartkrans in the Cradle of humankind http://lizatlancaster.co.za/blog/cradle-of-humankind-fascinating-tour-of-our-originsn but now there are opportunties to visit Cooper’s Cave, a relatively new excavation site in the Cradle of Humankind, with Wits University palaeoanthropologist Christine Steininger. For R350 per person, including lunch, you get to explore the cave, interact with Christine while she explains fossils and the site, and learn how to make stone tools. The family friendly tour starts at 09h00. Don’t forget to bring your sun hat, apply sunscreen and wear comfortable walking shoes. There will also be tours on 6th Novemebr as well as 4th, 15th, 22nd and 29th December and 5th January. You can only book on line. Go to www.maropeng.co.za and click on the ‘Book here’ icon.

Upcoming tours of fossil sites in the Cradle of Humankind

liz — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:58:41 +0000

11th sept: Visit Cooper’s Cave situated 1.2km from the famous Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg, a relatively new excavation site where several species of animals and a number of stone tools have been found. Activities on offer for the morning include an interactive fossil and site talk, cave exploration and fossil finding, and an opportunity to learn how to make stone tools, all followed by a light picnic lunch. The price is R350 per person including lunch, and the tour will start at 09h00. This is a family friendly event. Remember to pack a hat, birng a camera, apply sunscreen and wear comfortable walking shoes.

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

Wits Scientists reveal new species of hominids

liz — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:59:35 +0000

A team led by Professor Lee Berger, a renowned palaeoanthropologist from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (aka Wits University) has described and named a new species of hominid, Australopithecus sediba, almost two million years old, which was discovered in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, 40 kilometres out of Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Sediba, which means natural spring, fountain or wellspring in Sotho, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, was deemed an appropriate name for a species that might be the point from which the genus Homo arises,” comments Berger. “I believe that this is a good candidate for being the transitional species between the southern African ape-man Australopithecus africanus (like the Taung Child and Mrs. Ples) and either Homo habilis or even a direct ancestor of Homo erectus (like Turkana Boy, Java man or Peking man).”

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.

Tobias at 84 – still sharp, witty and engaging

liz — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:51:28 +0000

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.

Tours for the public to explore a newly discovered fossil site in the Cradle

liz — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:32:04 +0000

From Maropeng’s February 2010 newlsetter

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

Cradle of Humankind: fascinating tour of our origins

liz — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:50:27 +0000

: 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!