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Saldanha man also known as Saldanha cranium or Elandsfontein cranium are fossilized remains of an
archaic human
''Homo'' () is a genus of great ape (family Hominidae) that emerged from the genus ''Australopithecus'' and encompasses only a single extant species, ''Homo sapiens'' (modern humans), along with a number of extinct species (collectively called ...
. It is one of the key specimens for ''
Homo heidelbergensis
''Homo heidelbergensis'' is a species of archaic human from the Middle Pleistocene of Europe and Africa, as well as potentially Asia depending on the taxonomic convention used. The species-level classification of ''Homo'' during the Middle Pleis ...
''. It has not been dated directly, and is estimated to be roughly 0.5 million years old.
The remains, which included a fragment of lower jaw, were found on an exposed surface between shifting sand dunes on the farm Elandsfontein, which is located near
Hopefield,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
.
It was found associated with a variety of fossil vertebrates, and initially classified as ''Homo saldanensis'' (Drennan 1955).
Singer (1954) noted close resemblance to
Kabwe 1 at Broken Hill (Zambia) and
LH 18 at
Laetoli
Laetoli is a pre-historic site located in Enduleni ward of Ngorongoro District in Arusha Region, Tanzania. The site is dated to the Plio-Pleistocene and famous for its Hominina footprints, preserved in volcanic ash. The site of the Laetoli footp ...
(Tanzania).
Comparison with Kabwe 1 specifically, and thus classification as African ''H. heidelbergensis'' (''H. rhodesiensis'') was also regularly supported by later authors.
See also
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List of human fossils
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
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{{location, 33, 05, 30, S, 18, 14, 20, E, type:landmark_region:ZA, display=title
1953 archaeological discoveries
Homo heidelbergensis fossils
Prehistoric South Africa