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What is significant about the jaw of Olduvai Hominid 13?

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An illustration of Homo habilis, an early human ancestor, shown walking upright with a hairy body and ape-like features. A scale beside the figure indicates height in inches and centimeters. — Homo habilis Artist's rendering of *Homo habilis*, which lived from 2 to 1.5 million years ago.

The jaw of Olduvai Hominid 13 (OH 13) is significant because it exhibits characteristics that are similar in many respects to those of Homo erectus.1

This resemblance is notable because, had the jaw been discovered in isolation, the individual might have been classified as H. erectus rather than Homo habilis. Its classification as H. habilis is primarily supported by the fact that the jaw was found in association with small, thin vault bones from the skull.1