Abstract
The most complete early hominid skeleton ever found was discovered at Nariokotome III, west Lake Turkana, Kenya, and excavated in situ in sediments dated close to 1.6 Myr. The specimen, KNM-WT 15000, is a male Homo erectus that died at 12 ± 1 years of age, as judged by human standards, but was already 1.68 m tall. Although human-like in many respects, this specimen documents important anatomical differences between H. erectus and modern humans for the first time.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
McDougall, I., Davies, T., Maier, R. & Rudowski, R. Nature 316, 792–794 (1985).
Brown, F. H. & Feibel, C. S. Nature 316, 794–797 (1985).
McDougall, I. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 96, 159–175 (1985).
Brown, F. H., McDougall, I., Davis, T. & Maier, R. in Ancestors: the Hard Evidence (ed. Delson, E.) (Liss, New York, in the press).
Weidenreich, F. Palaeont. sin. (D) l, 1–180 (1937).
Garn, S. M., Lewis, A. B., Koski, K. & Polacheck, D. L. J dent. Res. 37, 561–567 (1958).
Garn, S. M. & Koski, K. Nature 180, 442–443 (1957).
Leakey, R. E. F. & Walker, A. C. Nature 261, 572–574 (1976).
Leakey, L. S. B. Nature 184, 491–493 (1959).
Dubois, E. Proc. K. ned. Akad. Wet. 29, 730–743 (1926).
Day, M. H. & Molleson, T. I. in Human Evolution (ed. Day, M. H.) 127–154 (Taylor & Francis, London, 1973).
Weidenreich, F. Palaeont. sin. (D) 5, 1–150 (1941).
Day, M. H. Guide to Fossil Man (Cassell, London, 1977).
Lu, Z. Cina Daily November 30 (1984).
Wei, L. Beijing Rev. December 3 (1984).
Day, M. H. Nature 232, 383–387 (1971).
Day, M. H. & Molleson, T. I. J. hum. evoL 5, 455–465 (1976).
Day, M. H. & Leakey, R. E. F. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 41, 367–380 (1974).
Leakey, R. E. F. & Walker, A. C. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. (in the press).
Walker, A., Zimmerman, M. R. & Leakey, R. E. F. Nature 296, 248–250 (1982).
Trotter, M. & Gleser, G. C. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 10, 463–514 (1952).
Schultz, A. H. Hum. Biol. 9, 281–328 (1937).
Stini, W. A. in Biosocial Interrelations in Population Adaptation (eds Johnston, F. E. & Watts, E. S.) 19–40 (Mouton, The Hague, 1974).
Cihak, R. Acta Univ. Carol. Medico 16, 145–165 (1970).
Rose, M. D. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 63, 371–387 (1984).
Lovejoy, C. O., Heiple, K. G. & Burstein, A. H. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 38, 757–780 (1973).
Pearson, K. & Bell, J. Drapers Co. Mem. 10, 1–224 (1919).
Walker, A. J. hum. evol. 2, 545–555 (1973).
Martin, R. D. 52nd James Arthur Lecture (Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 1983).
Flander, L. B. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 49, 103–110.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brown, F., Harris, J., Leakey, R. et al. Early Homo erectus skeleton from west Lake Turkana, Kenya. Nature 316, 788–792 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/316788a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/316788a0
This article is cited by
-
Orbital controls on eastern African hydroclimate in the Pleistocene
Scientific Reports (2022)
-
Late subadult ontogeny and adult aging of the human thorax reveals divergent growth trajectories between sexes
Scientific Reports (2020)
-
Growth and development of the third permanent molar in Paranthropus robustus from Swartkrans, South Africa
Scientific Reports (2020)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
