9 the state of science in south africa
A R C H A E O L O G Y A N D P A L A E O A N T H R O P O L O G Y
9.4 Major research themes in covered still in situ. The specimen has been
palaeoanthropology exposed but still remains to be removed
from its rock encasement.
A
ccording to a count by Kevin Kuyken-
dall, over 1 000 specimens of Aus-
During the 1950s, Dart introduced his
tralopithecines and early Homo had
theory of ‘Osteodontokeratics’ or bone,
been recovered from the South African
tooth and horn tools to explain the break-
sites by 2007. The debate has raged about
age patterns of the animal bone from the
the classification of these specimens right
Makapansgat limeworks. His model of ag-
from their first discovery and continues
gressive Australopithecine hunters killing a
today. How many species are represented
wide range of animals for their meat struck
a chord in the mind of the American popu-
and how are they distributed over space
lariser of science, Robert Ardrey. Ardrey be-
and time? Broom, a taxonomic splitter, had
came Dart’s advocate in a series of books;
created names for each new specimen, but
African Genesis, The Hunting Hypothesis, and
by the 1950s there was a general consen-
The Social Contract. Although no longer
sus that there were two Australopithecines,
accepted as good explanatory models for
Australopithecus africanus and A. robustus,
human origins, Dart’s papers and Ardrey’s
and an African form of Homo erectus. Dis-
books triggered a debate about how the
coveries at these sites and in East Africa
bones of animals and early humans found
from the 1970s have broken the consen-
their way into the cave deposits in the first
sus. The finding in 1976 of the Stw 53 skull
place. The result was the development of
in the Sterkfontein Extension site has been
the field of ‘cave taphonomy’ whose main
interpreted as evidence of H.habilis in the
proponent has been Bob Brain of the Trans-
region and earlier discoveries of Homo spe-
vaal Museum. The mode of deposition at all
cies have been labeled H.ergaster. Most re-
the sites continues to be debated, with evi-
searchers have now placed A. robustus into
dence suggesting a range of accumulators
its own genus, Paranthropus, indicating at
that may have been different at each site
least two fundamental lines of evolution
and at different times. That bone accumu-
amongst the Australopithecines. Debates
lation was undoubtedly complex is uncon-
about the relationships of these South Af-
tested, but at Sterkfontein and Swartkrans
rican specimens to their contemporaries in
there is good evidence that early humans
East Africa continue. The announcement
other than Australopithecines were active.
by Ron Clarke in 1997 of the discovery of
Kathy Kuman’s work on the Earlier Stone
a nearly complete skeleton (Stw 573) has
Age tools from these sites is informative
also emphasised the value of the richness
and ongoing.
of the South African sites. This is the third
discovery of multiple bone fragments from The volcanic sediments of the East Afri-
one individual (Sts 5/14 and Stw 431 are the can Rift Valley have allowed the fossil sites
other samples), but this new specimen is in that region to be dated by radiometric
not only the most complete, it was also dis- means. Sadly, the dolomite caves of South
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