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Dr. Broom discovers adult Australopithecus cranium, 1936
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Dr. Broom discovers adult Australopithecus cranium, 1936
An important discovery in South Africa: the brain-cast and parts of the skull of an anthropoid ape with human characteristics. Dr. Robert Broom paleontologist of the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, is pictured with his hand on the exact spot where the skull lay, and (on the left) Mr. W. G Barlow, manager of the lime works at Sterkfontein, near Krugersdorp, who had given him the brain-cast blasted out two days before. Date: 1936
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Media ID 14388267
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Africanus Anthropoid Apr16 Australopithecus Barlow Brain Broom Cast Characteristics Discovery Gesture Human Krugersdorp Paleontologist Pointing Skull Sterkfontein Transvaal 1936 Australopithecines
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this historic photograph, Dr. Robert Broom, a renowned paleontologist from the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria, South Africa, is seen making an important discovery at the Sterkfontein fossil site near Krugersdorp. The image captures the moment of discovery, with Dr. Broom's hand resting on the exact spot where the fossil, an Australopithecus cranium with distinctively human characteristics, was unearthed. The cranium, which includes the braincast and parts of the skull, is an anthropoid ape specimen that has intrigued scientists for decades due to its blend of ape and human traits. The discovery was made possible through the collaboration between Dr. Broom and Mr. W.G. Barlow, the manager of the nearby lime works at Sterkfontein. Mr. Barlow had alerted Dr. Broom to the potential significance of the fossil after it was accidentally blasted out of the limestone mine two days prior. The discovery of Australopithecus, a key ancestor of modern humans, was a groundbreaking find that helped scientists better understand the evolutionary history of our species. This photograph, taken in 1936, is a testament to the importance of collaboration and curiosity in scientific discovery. The image captures the excitement and significance of the moment, with Dr. Broom's gesture of pointing to the discovery site emphasizing the importance of the find. The Australopithecus fossil discovery at Sterkfontein is a milestone in the field of anthropology and archaeology, and this photograph is a valuable record of this important moment in history.
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