72.5k views
0 votes
Which species does the Taung Child belong to?

User Bstampe
by
7.6k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The Taung Child is an important fossil belonging to the species Australopithecus africanus, known for its mix of human-like and primitive traits that suggest it walked upright.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Taung Child belongs to the species known as Australopithecus africanus. This specimen, discovered in 1924 by anatomist and anthropologist Raymond Dart, is notable for its mixture of human-like and primitive traits. Dart observed that the Taung Child's skull had features such as a long and narrow shape, a small brain size similar to a chimpanzee, no brow ridges, circular eye orbits, minimal prognathism, and small canines without a diastema. One of the most significant observations was the forward position of the foramen magnum, which indicated that the Taung Child was likely bipedal with an upright posture, a crucial step towards modern human anatomy.

User Naskalin
by
8.0k points