Increase in cranial capacity from Austrolopithecus to early Homo sapiens 2-1.5 MYA

Range 450-860 cm^3
Organism Various
Reference Hawks J, Hunley K, Lee SH, Wolpoff M. Population bottlenecks and Pleistocene human evolution. Mol Biol Evol. 2000 Jan17(1):2-22.PubMed ID10666702
Comments These consecutive species samples [an Australopithecine speciating into another australopithecine and into early Homo sapiens] are about half a million years apart, but the amounts of change between them are quite different. From the earlier to later australopithecine species, cranial capacity (approximate midsex average) goes from 450 cm^3 to 475 cm^3, while from A. africanus to the earliest African H. sapiens sample the change is much greater: 860 cm^3.
Entered by Uri M
ID 104617