Paranthropus Robustus
(Australopithecus Robustus)- A Gorilla-Like Lifestyle
When did they Exist?
- Australopithecus Robustus were alive about 2 to 1.2 Million Years ago.
Who Discovered It?
- Australopithecus Robustus was discovered by Dr. Robert Broom in 1938.
- Africanus was from genus Homo
- Excavated skull looked alot like africanus with "robust" features
Fossil Evidence?
- "Heavy Chewing Machine".
- Hard and tough teeth.
- Robust refers to the tooth and face size.
- South Africa- remains of Robustus found... Large brain and big teeth
- Closer body shape to the gorilla than to the human.
Varied Diet
- Australopithecus Robustus had a very varied diet including fruits and nuts, grasses, seeds and animals.
- Since they had tough jaws and teeth, they ate tough vegetation.
- The meat they ate was in limited amounts because they lived in open grasslands.
Habitat
Open Grassland Near a Water Source. Fossils found in South Africa near Bloubank Valley of South Africa, including Swartkrans, Sterkfontein, Kromdraai, and Coopers.
Lifestyle
- Did not manufacture stone tools, but they may have used sticks or unmodified stone to break nuts and seeds.
- May have lived in social groups based around a dominant male and several females, similar to modern gorillas.
Australopithecus Robustus 2
Possible Descendants
The ancestry of Paranthropus robustus is debated. Some consider it to have evolved from Paranthropus walkeri. Others think the ancestor of Paranthropus robustus may have been Australopithecus africanus.
Cause of extinction?
So what led to the end of the line for Australopithecus? It could well have been direct competition with Homo -- which was becoming skilled in extensive bone and stone technology -- or it could have been a variety of other issues, including a slower reproductive rate for Australopithecus than for Homo.
Natural Selection favored Homo over them.