Why is Sterkfontein Caves famous?
The Sterkfontein Caves are owned by the University of the Witwatersrand, whose scientists continue to unearth fossils on the site. The caves have given rise to world-famous fossil discoveries such as Mrs Ples (1947), Little Foot (1997), Australopithecus sediba (2013) and Homo naledi (2013).
How long is Sterkfontein cave tour?
Tours of the caves take around 45 minutes and are not recommended for the unfit as there are numerous steps and some places where you are required to kneel or crawl. Tickets must be booked in advance online, not entrance tickets are sold at the site.
What was found in the Sterkfontein Caves?
Australopithecus africanus fossils
Sterkfontein is the location at which Australopithecus africanus fossils were unearthed. Cooper’s Cave is home to Paranthropus robustus and numerous animal fossils such as pigs, carnivores and antelope. Kromdraai is famous for being the first site in which Paranthropus robustus was discovered, in 1938.
Where is the Cradle of Humankind located on map?
The Cradle of Humankind, Johannesburg, South Africa Lat Long Coordinates Info
| Country | South Africa |
|---|---|
| Latitude | -25.925386 |
| Longitude | 27.767382 |
| DMS Lat | 25° 55′ 31.3896” S |
| DMS Long | 27° 46′ 2.5752” E |
Who owns the Sterkfontein Caves?
the University of the Witwatersrand
The Sterkfontein Caves are owned by the University of the Witwatersrand, whose scientists have been responsible for the main excavations at this World Heritage Site.
Where is Mrs Ples kept?
the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History
Ples is one of the most “perfect” pre-human skulls ever found. The skull is currently held at the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria….
| Catalog no. | STS 5 |
|---|---|
| Place discovered | Sterkfontein, South Africa |
| Date discovered | 18 April 1947 |
| Discovered by | Robert Broom, John T. Robinson |
How deep are the Sterkfontein Caves?
60m underground
Visiting the caves is not for the faint-hearted; to see the stalagmites and stalactites, as well as the elephant chamber, underground lake and the site where famous fossils were discovered, you have to go 60m underground where the temperature is a constant 18°C.
How old is Mrs Ples?
about 2.5 million years old
They nicknamed the skull, which is believed to be about 2.5 million years old, “Mrs Ples”. Its scientific name is Australopithecus africanus, and it’s extremely significant because scientists believe it to be a distant relative of all humankind.
Where in Africa was the first human found?
On November 24, 1974, fossils of one of the oldest known human ancestors, an Australopithecus afarensis specimen nicknamed “Lucy,” were discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia.
Did humans originate Africa?
Humans first evolved in Africa, and much of human evolution occurred on that continent. The fossils of early humans who lived between 6 and 2 million years ago come entirely from Africa. Most scientists currently recognize some 15 to 20 different species of early humans.
Was Mrs. Ples a female?
He determined that it belonged to a middle-aged female of the species Plesianthropous transvaalensis (later scientists placed the skull in the species Australopithecus africanus). Known formally as Sts 5, the approximately 2.5-million-year-old skull is better known today as Mrs. Ples.
Where was little foot found?
South Africa
Called “Little Foot” because the first bones recovered consisted of a few small foot bones, the remains were discovered in a cave in South Africa in the 1990s. Researchers have spent years excavating it from its rock encasement and subjecting it to high-tech analysis.
What gender is Mrs. Ples?
He and his colleagues published an article in the Journal of Human Evolution which insisted Mrs Ples was “an adult female”.
Why is it called Cradle of Humankind?
The name Cradle of Humankind reflects the fact that the site has produced a substantially large number of hominin fossils, some the oldest ever found, dating as far back as 3.5 million years ago.
What does Mrs. Ples stand for?
The nickname “Mrs. Ples” was coined by Broom’s young co-workers. It derives from the scientific name Plesianthropus transvaalensis (near-man from the Transvaal), that Broom initially gave the skull, later subsumed (synonymized) into the species Australopithecus africanus.
Where was Mrs Ples found?
the Sterkfontein Caves
More than 70 years ago two palaeontologists named Robert Broom and John Robinson discovered a skull at the Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg. They nicknamed the skull, which is believed to be about 2.5 million years old, “Mrs Ples”.
How old was the skeleton found in the Sterkfontein Caves in 1998?
3.67 mya
“Little Foot” (Stw 573) is the nickname given to a nearly complete Australopithecus fossil skeleton found in 1994–1998 in the cave system of Sterkfontein, South Africa….Little Foot.
| Catalog no. | Stw 573 |
|---|---|
| Age | 3.67 mya |
| Place discovered | South Africa |
| Date discovered | 1994 |
| Discovered by | Ronald J. Clarke |