Homo rudolfensis

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replica of KNM-ER 1470

Homo rudolfensis

extinct hominin

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June 17, 2026

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replica of KNM-ER 1470 — replica of KNM-ER 1470 Replica of KNM-ER 1470, a reconstructed Homo rudolfensis skull found in 1972 at Koobi Fora, Kenya, by a team under Richard Leakey. Dated at close to two million years ago, this specimen is classified by some paleoanthropologists as H. habilis.

Homo rudolfensis is an extinct species of early human that lived in Africa approximately 2.4 to 1.8 million years ago. This hominin is part of the genus Homo, representing some of the earliest members of our human lineage.12

Fossils attributed to H. rudolfensis, such as a jawbone discovered at Uraha Hill in Malawi, are among the oldest evidence of the Homo genus. These discoveries are central to debates about human origins, with some scientists classifying H. rudolfensis as a distinct species, while others suggest it may be a morphologically diverse species within Homo habilis.21

Key features distinguishing H. rudolfensis and other early Homo species from earlier hominins like Australopithecus include a larger braincase and smaller teeth. The exact evolutionary relationship and anatomical characteristics of H. rudolfensis are still subjects of scientific discussion.13

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Australopithecus
Transition to Homo
…to be a new species, H. rudolfensis, but it was later viewed as an unlikely ancestor to later species of Homo. The recovery of a unusually complete skeleton, however, offered up a new species; H. ergaster, which lived 1.9–1.5 mya in eastern Africa. H. ergaster is thought to be ancestral…
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…to be a new species, H. rudolfensis, but it was later viewed as an unlikely ancestor to later species of Homo. The recovery of a unusually complete skeleton, however, offered up a new species; H. ergaster, which lived 1.9–1.5 mya in eastern Africa. H. ergaster is thought to be ancestral…
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Koobi Fora
(Homo habilis, H. rudolfensis, and African H. erectus, which is also called H. ergaster). Stone tools dating to 2 mya resemble certain Oldowan industry artifacts from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. Koobi Fora’s archaeological record dates to as recently as 1.4 mya, but there are very few Acheulean…
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(Homo habilis, H. rudolfensis, and African H. erectus, which is also called H. ergaster). Stone tools dating to 2 mya resemble certain Oldowan industry artifacts from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. Koobi Fora’s archaeological record dates to as recently as 1.4 mya, but there are very few Acheulean…
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human evolution
Theories of bipedalism
Indeed, H. rudolfensis (2.4–1.6 mya), H. ergaster (1.9–1.7 mya), and later species of Homo, including H. sapiens (about 315 kya), are notably taller and heavier than Australopithecus and Paranthropus; however, one species of Homo, H. naledi (the oldest known fossils of which date to 335–200 kya)…
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Indeed, H. rudolfensis (2.4–1.6 mya), H. ergaster (1.9–1.7 mya), and later species of Homo, including H. sapiens (about 315 kya), are notably taller and heavier than Australopithecus and Paranthropus; however, one species of Homo, H. naledi (the oldest known fossils of which date to 335–200 kya)…
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Uraha Hill
…collection of fossils attributed to H. rudolfensis, the Uraha Hill jawbone takes its place in the centre of intense debate on the origin of the human genus. It is the earliest member attributed to H. rudolfensis, but precise dates are difficult to establish. Some experts prefer to include all the…
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…collection of fossils attributed to H. rudolfensis, the Uraha Hill jawbone takes its place in the centre of intense debate on the origin of the human genus. It is the earliest member attributed to H. rudolfensis, but precise dates are difficult to establish. Some experts prefer to include all the…
Read More