25. Earliest Homo

Summary

Hominin fossils are generally assigned to the genus Homo if they possess a brain size above 600 cc. To date the hypodigm of earliest Homo contains about 200 skeletal fragments attributable to about 40 individuals and assigned to Homo habilis sensu strict and Homo rudolfensis. While Homo rudolfensis exhibits a combination of primitive dentition with a Homo-like locomotory system, Homo habilis exhibits advanced reduction of tooth roots but displays more ape-like than human features in the postcranial skeleton. The chapter finally presents a discussion on the brain size, jaws and teeth, and postcranial evidence of these species, which are compared with that of the Australopithecus species.