KNM-WT 17000 (also known as "The Black Skull") is a fossilized adult skull of the species ''

Paranthropus aethiopicus ''Paranthropus aethiopicus'' is an extinct species of robust australopithecine from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of East Africa about 2.7–2.3 million years ago. However, it is much debated whether or not ''Paranthropus'' is an invali ...

''. It was discovered in West Turkana,

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Alan Walker Alan Olav Walker (born 24 August 1997) is a British-born Norwegian music producer and DJ primarily known for the critically acclaimed single " Faded" (2015), which was certified platinum in 14 countries. He has also made several songs including ...

in 1985. Estimated to be 2.5 million years old, it is an adult with an estimated cranial capacity of 410 cc. Its characteristics include a robust build with a prominent

sagittal crest A sagittal crest is a ridge of bone running lengthwise along the midline of the top of the skull (at the sagittal suture) of many mammalian and reptilian skulls, among others. The presence of this ridge of bone indicates that there are exceptiona ...

. Its coloration is due to the high

manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

content of the material it was embedded in. This fossilized cranium's face projects far outward from the forehead, has wide flared

zygomatic arch In anatomy, the zygomatic arch, or cheek bone, is a part of the skull formed by the zygomatic process of the temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the skull, over the opening of the ear) and the temporal process of the zygomati ...

es, and has the largest sagittal crest of any early human. The molar and premolar roots in the jaw are indicative of this early human having massive cheek teeth; an adaptation for heavy chewing. It is the only known adult skull of the species. While its relationship to other fossil hominin taxa was not immediately clear at the time of its discovery, further studies have suggested it is a possible ancestor of two species: ''

Paranthropus boisei ''Paranthropus boisei'' is a species of australopithecine from the Early Pleistocene of East Africa about 2.5 to 1.15 million years ago. The holotype specimen, OH 5, was discovered by palaeoanthropologist Mary Leakey in 1959, and described by h ...

'', of east Africa, and ''

Paranthropus robustus ''Paranthropus robustus'' is a species of robustness (morphology), robust australopithecine from the Early Pleistocene, Early and possibly Middle Pleistocene, Middle Pleistocene of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, about 2.27 to 0.87 (or, mo ...

'', of South Africa.

References

External links

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Archaeology InfoSmithsonian Institution
Paranthropus fossils Prehistoric Kenya Quaternary fossil record {{Paleo-hominin-stub

See also

References

External links