STS 5, Fossil Hominid
name: label: Collector
content: R. Broom & J. Robinson
label: Discipline
content: Anthropology
label: Region
content: African Region
notes: label: Description
content: This object is part of the Education and Outreach collection, some of which are in the Q?rius science education center and available to see.
label: Geologic Age
content: Pliocene
label: Notes
content: Orange/brown plastic cast cranium of STS 5, also known as "Mrs. Ples," is from the species Australopithecus africanus. STS 5 was nicknamed "Mrs. Ples" by scientist Robert Broom after initially hypothesizing that she was a middle-aged female Plesianthropus transvaalensis, which was the original name of the species - thus, "Mrs. Ples." Australopithecus africanus was anatomically similar to Australopithecus afarensis, with a combination of human-like and ape-like features. Compared to Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus had a rounder cranium housing a larger brain and smaller teeth, but it also had some ape-like features including a strongly sloping face that juts out from underneath the braincase with a pronounced jaw. This skull is now thought to have belonged to a male. Missing pieces are indicated in white. STS 5 is between 2.5 and 2.1 million years old.
label: Number of objects in this record
content: 1
label: Record Last Modified
content: 24 Oct 2022
place: label: Collecting Locality
content: Sterkfontein, Africa, South Africa, Gauteng Province
topic: label: Topic
content: Education & Outreach
setName: label: See more items in
content: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center
publisher: label: Scientific Name
content: Australopithecus africanus
identifier: label: USNM Number
content: EO67547
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Education and Outreach collections
taxonomicName: label: Taxonomy
content: Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Tetrapoda, Mammalia, Primates, Hominidae
physicalDescription: label: Is this real?
content: No, it's a cast.
label: Life Stage
content: Adult
label: Material
content: Plastic, Paint
label: Sex
content: Female