Laetoli hominid 18 : studies on a Pleistocene fossil human skull from northern Tanzania
Laetoli Hominid 18 cranium was recovered in 1976 from the Pleistocene Ngaloba Beds at Laetoli, Northern Tanzania. The cranium is well preserved and consists of an almost complete cranial vault, much of the base, both temporal bones and part of the sphenoid bone. The face together with part of the upper dentition is only partially preserved. Associated with the Laetoli Hominid 18 cranium, were a number of artifacts and a few faunal remains. The dating of the Laetoli Hominid 18 cranium is about 120,000 years Before Present (B. P. ). In this study, a full anatomical and metrical description of the external and internal morphological features of the Laetoli Hominid 18 cranium is given, and the cranium is compared anatomically and metrically with both fossil and modern human crania in order to define its taxonomic relationships. Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to investigate the metrical features of the cranium. The comparative sample included fossil crania ranging from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens specimens. The sample included specimens from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, the Far East/Australia and the European materials. The modern human sample was drawn from the African Ngoni,
Magori, C. C.
Archaeology
Laetoli hominid 18 : studies on a Pleistocene fossil human skull from northern Tanzania. Laetoli Hominid 18 cranium was recovered in 1976 from the Pleistocene Ngaloba Beds at Laetoli, Northern Tanzania. The cranium is well preserved and consists of an almost complete cranial vault, much of the base, both temporal bones and part of the sphenoid bone. The face together with part of the upper dentition is only partially preserved. Associated with the Laetoli Hominid 18 cranium, were a number of artifacts and a few faunal remains. The dating of the Laetoli Hominid 18 cranium is about 120,000 years Before Present (B. P. ). In this study, a full anatomical and metrical description of the external and internal morphological features of the Laetoli Hominid 18 cranium is given, and the cranium is compared anatomically and metrically with both fossil and modern human crania in order to define its taxonomic relationships. Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to investigate the metrical features of the cranium. The comparative sample included fossil crania ranging from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens specimens. The sample included specimens from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, the Far East/Australia and the European materials. The modern human sample was drawn from the African Ngoni,
hominid study pleistocene fossil human skull northern tanzania hominid recover pleistocene northern tanzania well_preserve consist almost_complete cranial much base temporal bone part bone face together part upper dentition partially preserve associated hominid number artifact faunal_remains date hominid present study full anatomical metrical description external_internal morphological feature hominid give compare fossil modern_human order define taxonomic relationship multivariate_statistical analysis employ_investigate metrical feature comparative sample include fossil range homo homo sapiens specimen sample include specimens sub_saharan africa north_africa middle_east far_east european material modern_human sample drawn african