KNM ER 1470

KNM-ER 1470 was the center of much debate concerning its species. The skull was at first incorrectly dated at nearly three million years old, predating the Homo habilis species. Since then, the estimate has been corrected to 1.9 million years, but the differences in this skull, when compared to others of the Homo habilis species, are said to be too pronounced, leading to the presumption of a Homo rudolfensis species, contemporary with Homo habilis. It is not certain whether H. rudolfensis, H. habilis or some, as of yet undiscovered, third species was ancestral to the later Homo.

For more information, click here. Or, Try these sources:

• John Hawks (31 March 2007). "KNM-ER 1470 is not a microcephalic". Can be read here.

• Bromage, TG, McMahon, JM, Thackeray, JF, et al. (2008). "Craniofacial architectural constraints and their importance for reconstructing the early Homo skull KNM-ER 1470". The Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry. 33 (1): 43–54. Can be read here.

• Leakey, Meave; Spoor, Fred; Dean, M. Christopher; Feibel, Craig S.; Antón, Susan C.; Kiarie, Christopher; Leakey, Louise N. (8 August 2012). "New fossils from Koobi Fora in northern Kenya confirm taxonomic diversity in early Homo". Nature. 488 (7410): 201–4. Can be read here.