Turkana Boy
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Turkana Boy
Turkana
Boy, the designation given to fossil KNM-WT (Kenya
National
Museum-West Turkana), is a nearly
complete skeleton of a 12-year-old hominid boy who died 1.6
million years ago. The skeleton was discovered in 1984 by a
team led by Richard Leakey near Lake Turkana
in Kenya. The only bones missing were those
of the hands and feet.
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The shape of the pelvis indicates that it was a male.
Based on dental eruption and lack of any epiphyseal
union of the skull, the age can be determined to be
about 12 years old.
The shape of the pelvis indicates that
it was a male. Based on dental eruption and lack of any
epiphyseal union of the skull,
the age can be determined to be about 12 years old.
The skeleton was about 5 1/2 ft. tall;
though he might have been 150 pounds and 6 ft. tall had
he lived to adulthood.
The cranial capacity of Turkana Boy was about 880
ml, although if he would have lived to adulthood it
would have been about 910 ml.
Turkana Boy lived at the halfway point between ape
primates and human primates.
Turkana Boy is classified as either Homo erectus
or Homo ergaster.
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