490 



ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1961 



PARANTHROPUS 



•a Q wi o *» 



* I'll 



' TELAN THROPUS" 

 STONE IMPLEMENTS 



Figure 6. — Climatic curve for Sterkfontein, Makapan (Limeworks), Sterkfontein Exten- 

 sion and Swartkrans sites, modified after Brain. The curve is based on porosity, 

 reflecting degree of rounding of the sand grains in the breccia from these sites. Central 

 line indicates present rainfall conditions. The distribution of Australopithecus, Paran- 

 thropus, and "Telanthropus" is shown along with that of stone implements. 



in the Sterkfontein Valley at just about the time that the remains 

 of "Telanthropus" also appear there. As has been pointed out, 

 "Telanthropus" has some major features which can be matched only 

 among toolmaking hominines but not among the austral opithecines. 

 Wliat could be more logical than that it was the invading toolmaker ? 

 It is of interest to note that at Sangiran in Java the hominine "Pithe- 

 canthropus" occurs side by side with Paranthropus (in the form of 

 "Meganthropus") and, apparently, over quite a long period of time 

 (Robinson, 1962). At Swartkrans the hominine "Telanthropus" 

 occurs side by side with Paranthropiis. In North Africa at Terni- 

 fine, "Atlanthropus," evidently a member of the "Pithecanthropus" 

 group, occurs along with a slightly more advanced form of the same 

 sort of culture as that found at Sterkfontein. This is the opinion of 

 Dr. Mason, who has examined both industries. 



Wliat then of the Olduvai Paranthropus and the stone artifacts 

 found with it? The most favorable migration route south into 

 South Africa is down the eastern side of the continent. Olduvai and 

 East Africa in general — evidently an important area in primate 

 evolution — lie almost directly north of the Sterkfontein Valley and 

 right on the route. It is therefore difficult to conceive of "Telanthro- 

 pus" at Sterkfontein without its having been present at some stage 

 in East Africa also. If this was not so, then "Telanthropus" must 

 represent an independent evolutionary' development of a hommine in 

 South Africa and this is unlikely. 



The newer Olduvai finds just below the Paranthropus level may have 

 very direct relevance here. The mandible is quite clearly not of 



