Peninj Mandible
Hominin fossil
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The Peninj Mandible(Peninj 1), also called Natron mandible,[1] is the fossilized lower jaw and teeth of an australopithecine specimen, likely that of Paranthropus boisei[2] or a similar population.[3] It was discovered in West Lake Natron,[4] in Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region of Tanzania by Kamoya Kimeu,[5][6] Glynn Isaac, and Richard Leakey in 1964.[7]
| |
| Catalog no. | Peninj 1 |
|---|---|
| Common name | Peninj Mandible |
| Species | Australopithecus boisei |
| Age | 1.5 mya |
| Place discovered | Peninj, Tanzania |
| Date discovered | 1964 |
| Discovered by | Kamoya Kimeu, Richard Leakey |
This mandible (jaw) is estimated to be 1.5 million years old[2] and it is characterized as having a robust build with large molars and reduced incisors.[8] The specimen is believed to be an adult male.[9]
Discovery
Peninj 1 was found in 1964 at a site in Tanzania called Peninj, west of Lake Natron and about 80 km (50 miles) from Olduvai Gorge, a major paleoanthropological site.[10] On the 11th of January, fossil hunter Kamoya Kimeu was crossing the western side of Lake Natron as part of a team led by Richard Leakey when he discovered the mandible buried in ancient volcanic ash in situ.[11] Later that year, Louis Leakey, his wife Mary Leakey and their son Richard, announced the discovery of the Peninj Mandible in an article published in Nature.[12]
Together with the OH 5 cranium, the nearly complete mandible of Peninj 1 showed that this East African species was even more robust than other hominin specimens found in southern Africa.[13]
