Homo rudolfensis
By: August Race
Embedded Files
Dorey, F. (2018). Homo rudolfensis. Australian Museum. https://australian.museum/learn/science/human-evolution/homo-rudolfensis/
KNM-ER 1470
KNM-ER 1470
KNM-ER 1470 is the type specimen for species Homo rudolfensis.
KNM-ER means Kenya National Museum East Rudolf.
Location
Location
This almost complete cranium was found in Koobi Fora, Kenya, in 1972. It was discovered under volcanic tuff, which is a compacted igneous material expelled from a volcano.¹
McHenry, H. (2023). Koobi Fora. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Koobi-Fora
Paleoanthropologists:
Africa: Birthplace of Man. (1973, October). Ebony. Vol. 28, No. 12. (pp. 107).
Bernard Ngeneo
Bernard Ngeneo
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2025). Richard Leakey. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Leakey
Richard Leakey
Richard Leakey
Reed, K and Su, D. (2025) Paleoenvironments. Institute of Human Origins. https://becominghuman.org/pathways-to-discovery/adaptation-to-a-changeable-planet/paleoenvironments/
Paleoenvironment
Paleoenvironment
Homo rudolfensis lived in a dry grassland habitat close to Lake Turkana in East Kenya. With larger front teeth than Australopithecines, Homo rudolfensis' diet shifted to harder foods requiring more tearing with the front incisors.² This is indicative of an environment containing harder foods such as tough plants.²
Time Range
Time Range
The volcanic tuff where KNM-ER 1470 was found was initially dated to 2.6 million years ago.¹ However, KNM-ER 1470 was then dated to 1.8 million years ago.¹ At the time of its discovery KNM-ER 1470 was also labeled as Homo habilis as they existed at the same time in the same region.¹
Boyd, R., Silk, J., & Langergraber, K. (2024). The Hominin Community Diversifies. How Humans Evolved. W. W. Norton & Company (pp. 242).
Fossil Items:
Sáez, R. (2020). Los primeros humanos: posición taxonómica de Homo habilis.
Ancestral Traits
Reduced supraorbital sulcus
Reduced brow ridge¹
Sáez, R. (2020). Los primeros humanos: posición taxonómica de Homo habilis. (fig. 9).
Derived Traits
Derived Traits
Long-flat face
Large cranial capacity
Larger molars
Wide parabolic palate¹
Evidence of Bipedalism
Evidence of Bipedalism
KNM-ER 1472 is a right femur found in the same area as KNM-ER 1470 with little differences between it and a H. sapiens femur.⁴
KNM-ER 1472 is belived to belong to H. rudolfensis but some believe that it is apart of H. habilis.
Middle Awash Project. Berkeley.
Defining Features
Defining Features
Broad mid-face
Large cranial capacity
Square maxilla
Wide palate¹
Sáez, R. (2020). Los primeros humanos: posición taxonómica de Homo habilis. (fig. 9).
Boyd, R., Silk, J., & Langergraber, K. (2024). The Hominin Community Diversifies. How Humans Evolved. W. W. Norton & Company (pp. 258).
Evolutionary Tree
Evolutionary Tree
When it comes to the evolutionary tree of Homo rudolfensis there is a question of whether or not it is a decedent of Kenyanthropus platyops or Australopithecus africanus. If H. rudolfensis is a descendant of K. platyops, that would mean Homo split from Australopithecus before 3.5 million years ago. Another option can also be an unkown species that would connect early Homo and modern humans.
Homo habilis debate
Homo habilis debate
On the left is KNM-ER 1470, Homo rudolfensis, and on the right is KNM-ER 1813, Homo habilis. These two species existed at a similar time to one another in East Africa. Some believe that these are not two separate species but evidence of sexual dimorphism within Homo habilis.
Chetan-Welsh, H. (2025). Homo habilis, an early maker of stone tools. Natural History Museum.
Related Fossils:
KNM-ER 62000
KNM-ER 62000
Dated to 1.91 - 1.95 million years ago.¹
These are the facial bones of a juvenile, which would be considered to be about 13-14 years old in a modern human, but due to their chronological age, resemble more closely about 8 years old.⁴
With a parabolic dental arcade and no prognathism, it resembles KNM-ER 1470.⁴
Leakey, M., Spoor, F., Dean, M. et al. (2012). New fossils from Koobi Fora in northern Kenya confirm taxonomic diversity in early Homo. Nature 488, 201–204. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11322
Leakey, M., Spoor, F., Dean, M. et al. (2012). New fossils from Koobi Fora in northern Kenya confirm taxonomic diversity in early Homo. Nature 488, 201–204. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11322
KNM-ER 60000
KNM-ER 60000
Dated to 1.78 - 1.97 million years ago.³
This nearly complete adult mandible had postmortem deformation.⁴
KNM-ER 1470 and KNM-ER 60000 span the size range of early Homo and share the same facial morphology meaning that sexual dimoprhism may not be the cause in the difference in early Homo facial shape.⁴
References:
Argue, D. (2017). Homo rudolfensis. Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science.
Ungar, P. S. (2012). Dental evidence for the reconstruction of diet in African early Homo. Current Anthropology, 53(S6), S318-S329.
Leakey, R. (1973). Evidence for an Advanced Plio-Pleistocene Hominid from East Rudolf, Kenya. Nature. 242, 447–450. https://doi.org/10.1038/242447a0
Leakey, M. et al. (2012). New fossils from Koobi Fora in northern Kenya confirm taxonomic diversity in early Homo. Nature 488, 201–204. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11322
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