OH 5, Fossil Hominid
name: label: Collector
content: M. Leakey
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: Small white plastic cast skull of Olduvai Hominid 5 (OH 5), also known as "Nutcracker Man," from the species Paranthropus boisei. OH 5 is easily the most famous of the early human fossils found at Olduvai Gorge. It is a nearly complete cranium of an adult male Paranthropus boisei. Originally named Zinjanthropus boisei, its classification was changed to Australopithecus boisei and later Paranthropus boisei, placing it in the same genus as the southern African "robust" species. The fossil is still referred to today as "Zinj", in reference to its original name. Notice the wide zygomatic arches which project forward of the nasal opening and form the dished-shape face typical of Paranthropus boisei. The outward flaring of these bony arches from the side of the head provided space for large temporalis muscles. These were the huge chewing muscles that passed from the lower jaw to the large sagittal crest atop the skull. In some cases, the megadont cheek teeth of Paranthropus boisei were four times the size of our own. OH 5 is about 1.8 million years old.
label: Number of objects in this record
content: 1
label: Record Last Modified
content: 18 Apr 2023
place: label: Collecting Locality
content: Olduvai Gorge, Africa, Tanzania
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: Paranthropus boisei
identifier: label: USNM Number
content: EO53490
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
label: Sex
content: Male