Tag: “fossils”

Professor Robert Broom artefacts on display at Maropeng – photo essay

Currently on display at Maropeng, until February 2012, is a collection of fossils and geological finds discovered by renowned palaeontologist Professor Robert Broom at Bolt’s Farm, also known as the Kingdom of the Big Cats. Also on display are a number of artefacts representative of Broom’s many achievements and hobbies.

More than 80 researchers behind new findings of Australopithecus sediba

Maropeng’s new fossil display, entitled More secrets of sediba revealed, features the fossils of an adult female Australopithecus sediba (MH-2) specimen, as well as a host of other fascinating fossils from the Malapa site in the Cradle of Humankind.

The world’s oldest fossilised dinosaur eggs on display at Maropeng

Tara Turkington

Some of the most exciting items on display at Maropeng at the moment are the world’s oldest fossilised dinosaur eggs, which are also the oldest known evidence of parental care. The Massospondylus eggs, 195-million years old, can be clearly seen with the aid of a magnifying glass and are part of the Treasures of our Past exhibition currently on display.

Earliest dinosaur discoveries in South Africa made in 1845

Tara Turkington

South Africa has a rich heritage of fossils ranging from dinosaur eggs to plant fossils, as well as earliest evidence of modern humans, Homo sapiens. The earliest documented dinosaur fossil discovery in South Africa was in 1845.

At Maropeng you can learn about this rich heritage by visiting the exhibition, viewing fossils on display or attending one of our fun events, such as the Cooper’s Cave picnics.

Pre-dinosaur fossil that proved continental drift theory at Maropeng

Bianca Bothma

The skull of Lystrosaurus primitivus, a mammal-like reptile, which lived about 200-million years ago, is currently on display at Maropeng as part of the Treasures of our Past fossil display.

Possible early human turns out to be unknown ape

The Longgupo jaw, a controversial fossil find which scientists claimed represented an unknown type of hominid, has been shown to originate from ape, rather than human, descendants.

Scientist Russell Ciochon made headlines in the 1980s when he discovered a 2-million-year-old fossil jaw bone in a cave in central China, seemingly belonging to an unknown hominid. Then, in the mid-1990s, Ciochon theorised that his discovery represented a wholly unknown species predating the appearance of Homo erectus in Asia by roughly 1-million years.

Maropeng offers Swartkrans walking tours

Maropeng is happy to announce that we will be hosting our popular Swartkrans walking tours again in 2009. Swartkrans, one of the Cradle’s richest fossil sites, is usually closed to the public. But on these tours, small groups will have a rare opportunity to observe an active archaeological dig and will be guided around the site by scientist Morris Sutton, who is currently excavating there.

Scientists suggest new find is the “missing link”

A remarkable fossil, believed to show the missing link between primates and other animals, was unveiled by scientists in New York on May 19, 2009.

Scientists are calling the 47-million-year-old fossil – which is believed to be female – “Ida”. Her scientific name is Darwinius masillae, in honour of Darwin’s 200th birthday, which was celebrated on February 12, 2009.

New exhibition opens at Maropeng: Insects from the Distant Past

Maropeng opened a new exhibition today, April 16, 2009. On display in the Original Fossil Exhibition at the Maropeng Visitor Centre is a variety of fossilised insects from Southern Africa.

The fossils include early cockroaches found in the Karoo, well-preserved insects found at the Orapa diamond mine in Botswana, and even fly larvae found alongside hominid fossils in the Cradle of Humankind.

Exciting fossil discovery in the Cradle of Humankind

The Cradle of Humankind has once again yielded a treasure. Strands of hominid hair from the Gladysvale Caves, which form part of the Cradle, are the oldest ever found. 

According to the University of the Witwatersrand researchers who made the find, the hair is the first non-bony material in the early hominid fossil record. Found in hyena dung preserved in calcified cave sediment, the hair is thought to be between 195 000 and 257 000 years old – far older than the 9 000-year-old hair from a mummy discovered in South America, which, until now, was considered the oldest human hair.