Fossil specimens of Southern Ape skulls from the Oxford Museum of Natural History

Fossil specimens of Southern Ape skulls from the Oxford Museum of Natural History

Southern apes, some researchers refer to as hominids, lived on the newly formed African savannah 1.5 million years ago. The skull features of this species are related to a diet primarily based on hard fruits, bark, and some roots. We can notice that it has a thick and protruding zygomatic arch, with a very large muscle passing through it and ending at the sagittal crest located in the upper part of the skull. Its dental arch is very sturdy and can be seen in very wide and pointed molars.