The eyes of the world turned to South Africa again last week with the important discovery of early hominid remains in the Cradle of Humankind.
Today''s Child finds Yesterday''s Child
The unusually complete early human fossils are reportedly the skeletons of an adult female and a male child, and were stumbled upon by nine year old Matthew Berger and his dog Tau. Matthew is the son of palaeaonthropologist Lee Burger.
The ‘new’species, dated back almost 2 million years, has been named Australopithecus sediba.
Lee Berger explains: "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."
Children of South Africa have been invited to come up with a common name for the juvenile skeleton.
Fossils on tour
The remains are currently on public display at Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind until April 18. They will them be moved to Cape Town for the launch of Palaeo-Sciences Week from April 19 and will again be on public display at the Wits Origins Centre during May (dates to be confirmed).
Sources:
Business Day – 09 April 2009