SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AUSTRALOPITHECINÆ

Abstract

IN 1924, the immature skull of a large ape-like primate was discovered in some lime workings at Taungs in the valley of the Harts River, South Africa. It was briefly described by Prof. R. A. Dart, who regarded it as representing an extinct race of apes intermediate between living anthropoid apes and man. To this extinct race he gave the name Australopithecus africanus. There followed a mild controversy on the interpretation of this fossil, but many anatomists quite properly preferred to wait before committing themselves to definite statements until a full and systematic report on the original remains should appear. Twelve years later, Dr. Robert Broom, who had decided to search for more remains of Australopithecus, paid a visit to a cave at Sterkfontein, near Krugersdorf. Here he found portions of skulls and jaws of a fossil primate similar to Australopithecus but (in his opinion) sufficiently distinct in some oi its characters to be referred to a separate genus. He called it Plesianthropus transvaalensis. Then, in 1938, the remains of what were taken to represent still another type, called by Broom Paranthropus robustus, were brought to light at Kromdraai, two miles east of Sterkfontein. Thus there are now available for consideration three series of extinct ape-like primates from South Africa, which are believed to be representatives of one sub-family, the Australopithecinse. Excellent casts of the skull of Australopithecus have been available in Britain for many years now, and during the course of his excavations since 1936 Dr. Broom has been extremely generous in distributing casts of most of the valuable material which he has collected. Thus anatomists in Britain have for some time had this sort of evidence before them. Now there has appeared the long-awaited report on the Australopithecinse by Dr. Broom and Dr. Schepers1. In this monograph, which is abundantly illustrated and incorporates numerous comparative studies, Broom deals in considerable detail with the osteological material, while Schepers discusses the endocranial casts. Apart from the obvious fact that access to the original material is really necessary to complete the evidence on which to base a considered opinion, it is now possible, at least in general terms, to assess independently the significance of these remarkable fossils.