Overview
Proposed in 2010 based on fossils from the Sterkfontein cave system in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The validity of this species is widely questioned, with most researchers considering the material to belong to Homo habilis, Homo ergaster, or Australopithecus. If valid, it would represent one of the earliest and longest-surviving Homo species.
Key Fossils
StW 53 (cranium), various Sterkfontein Member 5 specimens
Brain Anatomy
No Cranial Data Available
No cranial remains or endocasts have been recovered for this species, so brain morphology cannot be directly assessed.
Tools & Technology
No Tool Associations
No stone tools have been directly associated with this species in the archaeological record.
Genetics & Ancient DNA
| Genome Coverage | % |
|---|---|
| DNA Source | |
| Sequencing Year | |
| mtDNA Available | No |
| Nuclear DNA | No |
| Divergence Date (fossil calibrated) | 2.0 MYA |
H. gautengensis (proposed): no DNA.
Molecular clock data from TimeTree 5 (Kumar et al. 2022).