KNM-ER 1805
Quick Summary
KNM-ER 1805 is a fossil skull discovered at the Koobi Fora site in Kenya, dating to approximately 1.7 million years ago. This fossil is often discussed alongside other specimens grouped as Homo habilis, an extinct species of human that lived in sub-Saharan Africa from about 2.4 to 1.5 million years ago.1
The KNM-ER 1805 skull exhibits peculiar features, including a sagittal crest (a bony ridge along the top of the skull) and another prominent crest at the rear, indicating powerful chewing and neck muscles. These crests are typically seen in robust australopiths, not in Homo species. However, other characteristics of KNM-ER 1805 are considered Homo-like.1
Homo habilis is significant as an early representative of the human genus, Homo, showing intermediate features between the more primitive Australopithecus and later Homo species. Fossils attributed to H. habilis have been found at sites like Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and Koobi Fora in Kenya.1
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