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How old are the Australopithecus sediba fossils from Malapa Cave?

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Side view illustration of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human ancestor, shown walking upright with a hairy body and ape-like facial features. A scale beside the figure marks 12 inches and 40 centimeters. — Australopithecus Artist's rendering of *Australopithecus afarensis*, which lived from 3.8 to 2.9 million years ago.

The Australopithecus sediba fossils discovered at the Malapa Cave system are estimated to be approximately 1.977 million years old.1

Because the fossil remains themselves could not be dated directly, researchers determined this age by analyzing the surrounding uranium-rich flowstone matrix using uranium-lead dating and paleomagnetic dating techniques.1