Homo habilis Economy Cranium

BH-002-EC $183.00

1.9 MYA. The Homo habilis cranium KNM-ER 1813 was discovered by K. Kimeu in 1973 at Koobi Fora, Kenya, and described by R. Leakey in Nature in 1973.

We are now offering economy versions of our most popular fossil hominid crania which are designed to give educators affordable, high quality, highly detailed and durable replica fossil hominids for hands-on study. Our resins capture fine details, and unlike materials such as plaster or hydrostone, are lightweight and shatter resistant. They are perfect for introductory level courses in anthropology and evolution.

There is still controversy about this specimen's classification, with some scientists opting to classify it as an australopithecine and others believing it is a species of Homo. Some paleoanthropologists have raised the possibility that KNM-ER 1813 is the female counterpart to the Homo rudolfensis KNM-ER 1470. While dated to the same time period and sharing some characteristics, KNM-ER 1813 has a much smaller face, brain and teeth than 1470. Other paleoanthropologists argue that its brain size of 510 cc (in contrast to 1470's 750 cc) indicates a size difference too great to be due to sexual dimorphism and represents a separate species. It's also not the case that this specimen is simply an immature version of H. rudolfensis, as the third molar appears to have been worn down. Instead, it has been suggested that it belongs in a category of Homo habilis, with which it shares similarities in tooth size and shape, cranium size, and face shape.