Abel (hominid)
Encyclopedia
Abel is the name given to the only specimen ever discovered of Australopithecus bahrelghazali
. Abel was found in January 1995 in Chad
in the Kanem Region
by the paleontologist Michel Brunet
, who named the fossil "Abel" in memory of his close friend Abel Brillanceau, who had died of malaria
in 1989.
Of Abel remains only part of a jaw, which explains the little information descernable concerning its way of life.
The few teeth confirm it to be of the Australopithecus
genus
: it has a second premolar
with a broad and molarized crown, not dissimilar to the Lucy fossil, and as such to the Australopithecus afarensis
.
Australopithecus bahrelghazali
Australopithecus bahrelghazali is a fossil hominin that was first discovered in 1993 by the paleontologist Michel Brunet in the Bahr el Ghazal valley near Koro Toro, in Chad, that Brunet named Abel...
. Abel was found in January 1995 in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
in the Kanem Region
Kanem Region
Kanem is one of the 22 regions of Chad, corresponding to the former prefecture of Kanem. Its capital is Mao. It is named after the famous Kanem Empire, which was centered in this vicinity.The region of Kanem is divided into 3 departments:-Demography:...
by the paleontologist Michel Brunet
Michel Brunet (paleontologist)
Michel Brunet is a French paleontologist and a professor at the Collège de France. In 2001 Brunet announced the discovery in Central Africa of the skull and jaw remains of a late Miocene hominid nicknamed Toumaï...
, who named the fossil "Abel" in memory of his close friend Abel Brillanceau, who had died of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in 1989.
Of Abel remains only part of a jaw, which explains the little information descernable concerning its way of life.
The few teeth confirm it to be of the Australopithecus
Australopithecus
Australopithecus is a genus of hominids that is now extinct. From the evidence gathered by palaeontologists and archaeologists, it appears that the Australopithecus genus evolved in eastern Africa around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
: it has a second premolar
Premolar
The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or...
with a broad and molarized crown, not dissimilar to the Lucy fossil, and as such to the Australopithecus afarensis
Australopithecus afarensis
Australopithecus afarensis is an extinct hominid that lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. A. afarensis was slenderly built, like the younger Australopithecus africanus. It is thought that A...
.
See also
- List of fossil sites (with link directory)
- List of hominina (hominid) fossils (with images)