Australopithecus sediba skeletal remains come from Malapa, South Africa. The first fossil at Malapa was discovered in 2008 by Matthew Berger. Subsequent excavations have uncovered two partial skeletons, MH1 and MH2, as well as elements from several additional individuals. The Au. sediba material dates to approximately 2.0 million years ago.

This virtual lab includes the MH1 cranium of Au. sediba together with three other specimens for comparison. One of these is Sts 5, one of the best known fossil examples of Australopithecus africanus. This fossil is from Sterkfontein, South Africa. The other fossil included in this virtual lab is D2700, an individual of Homo erectus from Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia. Finally, the lab includes a model of a skull from a recent human.

This lab will help you to examine some essential scientific questions about Au. sediba:

• Assess the teeth that are present in the the MH1 and D2700 fossils. Do they represent the same dental age, or is one older than the other?
• Which traits of the MH1 skull resemble D2700 more than Sts 5?
• Which traits of the MH1 skull resemble Sts 5 more than D2700?

Materials in this lab

• The original Australopithecus sediba fossil material from Malapa, including the MH1 cranium, is curated at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. The models of the MH1 calvaria and mandible in this virtual lab are based upon 3D surface scan data available from Morphosource. Those models are compatible with 3D printing and research use.
• The original Sts 5 fossil is curated at the Ditsong Museum of Natural History in Pretoria, South Africa. The model in this virtual lab is based upon a 3D surface scan of a cast in the Biological Anthropology collection of UW-Madison.
• The original D2700 fossil calvaria is curated at the National Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia. The model in this virtual lab is based upon a 3D surface scan of a cast in the Biological Anthropology collection of UW-Madison.
• The model of the human calvaria is based on an anatomical model created by Hannah Newey. The model is available on Sketchfab with a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Share-alike (CC-BY-NC-SA) license. I reduced the polygon count of the model for this virtual lab.

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