Australopithecus africanus paleoart

Description

This palaeoartistic reconstruction of A. africanus is based on the skeletal remains of the Taung Child.
The Taung Child was killed by a large bird of prey at the age of 3, as evidenced by scars on the skull.
Despite its young age, it developed more rapidly than a human and would be equivalent to being approximately 9 years old. It was about 1 metre tall and weighed approximately 11 kg.
The specimen includes most of the face and jaw with teeth and an internal cast of the braincase, which is exceptionally well preserved.
Originally thought to be a monkey or ape, Professor Dart realised that the skull may have been positioned directly over the spine, indicating an upright posture. This is a feature seen in humans, but not in other primates. It had a cranial capacity of 340 cc and lived mainly in a savannah habitat.

Our reconstruction has been carried out on a replica of the remains found. Applying sculpted layers of what would be the soft tissues until reaching their probable appearance.