Ronald J. Clarke
Encyclopedia
Ronald J. Clarke is a paleoanthropologist
most notable for the discovery of "Little Foot
", an extraordinary complete skeleton of Australopithecus
, in the Sterkfontein
Caves. A more technical description of various aspects of his description of the Australopithecus skeleton was published in the Journal of Quaternary
Science,
He also discovered the Homo ergaster
partial cranium SK 847. He also played a role in the discovery of a new skeleton of Homo habilis
related to Homo rudolfensis
He was associated with the University of the Witwatersrand
until he was fired by Lee Berger
, the head of the university's Palaeoanthropology Research Unit. He was then hired by Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main
in Frankfurt, Germany and allowed to continue his work excavating "Little Foot". He later rejoined the University of the Witwatersrand's Institute for Human Evolution, where he remains as of present.
Paleoanthropology
Paleoanthropology, which combines the disciplines of paleontology and physical anthropology, is the study of ancient humans as found in fossil hominid evidence such as petrifacted bones and footprints.-19th century:...
most notable for the discovery of "Little Foot
Little Foot
"Little Foot" is the nickname given to an extraordinarily complete fossil hominin skeleton found in 1994–1998 in the cave system of Sterkfontein, South Africa.- Discovery :...
", an extraordinary complete skeleton of Australopithecus
Australopithecus
Australopithecus is a genus of hominids that is now extinct. From the evidence gathered by palaeontologists and archaeologists, it appears that the Australopithecus genus evolved in eastern Africa around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct...
, in the Sterkfontein
Sterkfontein
-References:-References:-References:: : : :...
Caves. A more technical description of various aspects of his description of the Australopithecus skeleton was published in the Journal of Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
Science,
He also discovered the Homo ergaster
Homo ergaster
Homo ergaster is an extinct chronospecies of Homo that lived in eastern and southern Africa during the early Pleistocene, about 2.5–1.7 million years ago.There is still disagreement on the subject of the classification, ancestry, and progeny of H...
partial cranium SK 847. He also played a role in the discovery of a new skeleton of Homo habilis
Homo habilis
Homo habilis is a species of the genus Homo, which lived from approximately at the beginning of the Pleistocene period. The discovery and description of this species is credited to both Mary and Louis Leakey, who found fossils in Tanzania, East Africa, between 1962 and 1964. Homo habilis Homo...
related to Homo rudolfensis
Homo rudolfensis
Homo rudolfensis is a fossil human species discovered by Bernard Ngeneo, a member of a team led by anthropologist Richard Leakey and zoologist Meave Leakey in 1972, at Koobi Fora on the east side of Lake Rudolf in Kenya. The scientific name Pithecanthropus rudolfensis was proposed in 1978 by V. P...
He was associated with the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
until he was fired by Lee Berger
Lee R. Berger
Lee Rogers Berger is a paleoanthropologist, physical anthropologist and archeologist and is best known for his discovery of Australopithecus sediba and his work on Australopithecus africanus body proportions and the Taung Bird of Prey Hypothesis.-Background:Berger was born in Shawnee Mission,...
, the head of the university's Palaeoanthropology Research Unit. He was then hired by Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main
Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main
The Goethe University Frankfurt was founded in 1914 as a Citizens' University, which means that, while it was a State university of Prussia, it had been founded and financed by the wealthy and active liberal citizenry of Frankfurt am Main, a unique feature in German university history...
in Frankfurt, Germany and allowed to continue his work excavating "Little Foot". He later rejoined the University of the Witwatersrand's Institute for Human Evolution, where he remains as of present.
See also
- List of fossil sites (with link directory)
- List of hominina (hominid) fossils (with images)
External links
- http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/littlefoot.htmlLittle Foot TalkOrigins ArchiveTalkOrigins ArchiveThe TalkOrigins Archive is a website that presents mainstream science perspectives on the antievolution claims of young-earth, old-earth, and "intelligent design" creationists...
] - Full Australopithecus Fossil Found in South Africa (Washington Post)