Pages: 29-39

The present study of the replica of Homo naledi from South Africa deals first of all with making facial reconstruction according to Mikhail Gerasimov’s method. We studied the find with the classical craniological method and gained a metric description of the Homo naledi skull. In addition, the authors’ method of craniotrigonometry was used for the comparative analysis of ancient hominids skulls, varied in size and, probably, in sex. The method was chosen since it gives the possibility to study skull shape. As a result, we identified a number of features of Homo naledi skull associated with a very narrow braincase and a low squamous part of occipital bone. A comparative analysis of the angular (morphogenic) parameters showed the transitional taxonomic position of the find between Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis and Homo ergaster. Postcranial morphology study revealed adaptive characteristics to the bipedality. Through the development of Mikhail Gerasimov’s method, we made a sculptural reconstruction of the Homo naledi head, which is presented here for the first time.

Keywords: Southern Africa, Homo naledi, craniology, reconstruction, angular morphometry of the skull, morphology of the skeleton

Information about authors:

Sergey Vasilyev (Moscow, Russian Federation). Doctor of Historical Sciences. Institute of ethnology and anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Leninsky Ave., 32А, Moscow, 119334, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
Elizaveta Veselovskaya (Moscow, Russian Federation). Doctor of Historical Sciences. Institute of ethnology and anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Leninsky Ave., 32А, Moscow, 119334, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
Svetlana Borutskaya (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biology. Lomonosov Moscow State University. Lomonosov Ave., 27/4, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]