Cradle of Humankind

A UNESCO World Heritage Site northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, encompassing fossil-rich caves that have yielded major discoveries about human evolution.

Sterkfontein Caves: A South African cave system in the Cradle of Humankind known for exceptionally rich hominin fossils. Its excavations produced many of the site's best-known hominin discoveries.
Dolomitic karst: A limestone-like landscape shaped by the dissolution of dolomite, often containing caves and underground drainage. Karst processes created the caves that preserve the site's fossils.
Raymond Dart: An Australian-born anatomist who described Australopithecus africanus from the Taung Child in 1925. His Taung Child interpretation helped establish South Africa's importance to human-origins research.
Australopithecus africanus: An extinct hominin species known from fossils found in South Africa, including the Taung Child and Sterkfontein specimens. Its fossils are central to the Cradle's contribution to understanding early hominin diversity.
Little Foot: A nearly complete Australopithecus skeleton discovered in South Africa's Sterkfontein Caves. This exceptional skeleton is among the Cradle's most significant fossil finds.
Fossilization: The processes by which remains or traces of organisms become preserved in geological materials. It explains how ancient bones became part of the cave deposits.
Robert Broom: A Scottish-born South African physician and paleontologist who discovered important Australopithecus fossils. His Sterkfontein discoveries strengthened the case for early hominins in the region.
Human evolution: The evolutionary history of humans and their ancestors, documented through biological and fossil evidence. The site's fossil record informs debates about hominin origins and evolution.
Mrs. Ples: A well-preserved Australopithecus africanus skull discovered at Sterkfontein in 1947. Its discovery helped establish Sterkfontein as a major source of early hominin fossils.
Breccia: A rock made of angular fragments cemented together in a finer-grained matrix. Cave breccias can lock fossil fragments into deposits that persist for excavation.

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Homo gautengensisNarrower topic: Several sites that supplied fossils for the proposal lie within this region.