Fossil site in South Africa yields key discovery

Among the fossils found at the former Drimolen quarry in South Africa's "Cradle of Humankind" is the oldest known representative of the species Homo erectus. This site is renowned for its rich hominin fossil record and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Drimolen quarry's extensive excavations

Excavations at Drimolen Main Quarry, located about 40 kilometers north of Johannesburg, took place between 1994 and 2008. These efforts uncovered 119 hominin specimens dating from 2.04 to 1.95 million years ago, spread across different layers of sediment.

Many remains remain unstudied

Although some remains, such as dental fossils and postcranial fragments, have been described, the majority of the bones discovered at Drimolen have not yet been analyzed. This leaves much of the site's potential for new discoveries unexplored.

Oldest Homo erectus fossil identified

Among the described remains is the oldest fossil attributed to Homo erectus: a well-preserved cranial vault from a child aged 2 to 4 years, dated to around 2.04 million years ago. This finding confirms that Homo erectus lived in Africa at that time.

Potential for more Homo erectus fossils

Previous research identified 13 specimens belonging to the genus Homo based on dental characteristics. This suggests the possibility of additional Homo erectus individuals at Drimolen and other nearby sites such as Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, or Kromdraai.