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Sterkfontein

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	Topics Sterkfontein Topic Home Sterkfontein is a set of limestoneLimestone Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite .... caveCave A cave is a natural underground void large enough for an adult human to enter.... s of special interest to paleoPaleontology Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of the developing history of life on Earth, including ancient plants and a... -anthropologists located in GautengGauteng Gauteng is a province of South Africa.... province, Northwest of JohannesburgJohannesburg Johannesburg, also known as eGoli, is the most populous city in South Africa.... , South AfricaSouth Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent.... near the town of Krugersdorp. The archaeological sites of SwartkransFacts About Swartkrans Swartkrans is a location in South Africa, around 20 miles from Johannesburg.... and Kromdraai (and the Wonder CaveWonder Cave Kromdraai The Wonder Cave, in Kromdraai, Gauteng, South Africa, is the third-largest cave chamber in the country, and is believed to be abou... ) are in the same area. A number of early hominidHominidae The hominids are the members of the biological family Hominidae , which includes humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and or... remains have been found at the site over the last few decades. Sterkfontein was declared a World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage Site A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained ... in 2000 and the area in which it is situated, was named the Cradle of HumankindCradle of Humankind The Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site first named by Unesco in 1999, about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesbur... . Modern excavation of the caves began in the late 1890s by limestone miners who noticed the fossilFossil Fossils are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms.... s and brought them to the attention of scientists. It was not until 1936 that students of Professor Raymond DartFacts About Raymond Dart Raymond Dart was an Australian anatomist and anthropologist best known for his discovery in 1924 of a fossil of Australopith... and Dr. Robert BroomRobert Broom Prof. Robert Broom, M. D., D.Sc. , born in Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland, was a South African physician and paleontologist.... from the University of the WitwatersrandUniversity of the Witwatersrand name = University of the Witwatersrand... began concerted excavations. These excavations revealed many early hominids. In 1936, the Sterkfontein caves yielded the first adult AustralopithecineAustralopithecine This term australopithecine refers to two very closely related hominin genera:... , substantially strengthening Raymond Dart's claim that the skull known as the Taung child (Australopithecus africanusAustralopithecus africanus *Australopithecus africanus* was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between 3.3 and 2.4 million years ago i... ) was a human ancestor. There was a pause in excavation during World War IIWorld War II World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,... , but after the war Dr. Broom continued excavations. In 1947 he found the almost complete skull of an adult female Australopithecus africanus (or possibly that of an adolescent male). Broom initially named the skull Plesianthropus transvaalensis (near-man from TransvaalTransvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal park.... ), but it became better known by its nickname, Mrs. PlesMrs. Ples Mrs. Ples is the popular nickname for the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus ever found in the world.... . Mrs. Ples is estimated to be between 2.6 and 2.8 million years old placing it in the PliocenePliocene The Pliocene epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years before presen... . In 1997 a near complete skeleton of an early hominid was found in the caves by Ronald J. ClarkeRonald J. Clarke Ronald J. Clarke is an paleoanthropologist most notable for the discovery of "Little Foot", an extraordinary complete skelet... ; extraction of the remains from the surrounding brecciaFacts About Breccia *Breccia, the Italian word for 'breach', is typically a rock composed of angular fragments from a previous rock structure... is ongoing. The skeleton was named Little FootLittle Foot "Little Foot" is the nickname given to an extraordinarily complete fossil hominin skeleton found in 1998 in the cave system ... , since the first parts found (in 1995, in storage) were the bones of a foot; it is estimated to be 3.3 million years old. Excavations continue to this day and finds now total some 500 hominids, making Sterkfontein the richest site in the world for early hominids. The (PAST), a non-profit trust fund established in 1994, sponsors over 90% of the research undertaken at Sterkfontein and was instrumental in its nomination as a World Heritage Site. See also List of caves in South AfricaList of caves in South Africa Cango Caves* Blombos cave* Sterkfontein... External links