Hominoid Collection (#4)

Pan paniscus, pygmy chimpanzee
Photographed by Frank Greenaway

Sivapithecus indicus
Illustration by Maurice Wilson of Sivapithecus indicus, thick coated enamelled apes from Turkey and Indo-Pakistan dating from 13 million years ago

Homo neanderthalensis, Neanderthal Man burial site (Teshik-T
Reconstruction of a Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) burial site based on remains discovered at Teshik-Tash, Uzbekistan dating back 70, 000 years

Homo sapiens (Predmosti) & Homo neanderthalensis (La Ferrass

Paranthropus boisei (OH5)

Proconsul, Homo heildebergensis & Homo neanderthalensis cran
L to R: Cranium of Proconsul, an extinct primate that lived 18 million years ago; Homo heildebergensis (Broken Hill 1) discovered in Zambia; and Homo neanderthalensis (Gibraltar 1)

Gorilla gorilla, gorilla

Paranthropus sp. (left) and Homo erectus (right)
Illustration by Maurice Wilson. 2 to 1.5 million years ago parts of Africa were populated by these two hominids. Paranthropus foraged peacefully but here is threatened by Homo erectus

Homo neanderthalensis, Neanderthal Man cranium (Neanderthal
Cranium (cast) of Neanderthal 1, the original Neanderthal man discovered by workmen in 1856 in a cave at Neander Valley near Hochdahl, East of Dusseldorf, Germany

Pongo sp. Mandible and molar (Piltdown 1 & 2)
Lateral lingual view of Piltdown 1 mandible with Piltdown 2 left molar. Held at The Natural History Museum, London

Pongo sp. Mandible with canine (Piltdown 1)
Left lateral view of the Piltdown mandible reported to be that of a newly found homind species in 1913 but then revealed as a forgery in 1953. Specimen held at The Natural History Museum, London

Bronze bust of a chimpanzee

Homo sapiens skeleton (Omo 1)
The skeleton of Homo sapiens discovered by Richard Leakeys team in 1967 at Kibish, north west of Camp Kenya, East of the Omo River, Eithiopia. Dated 130, 000 years old

Gorilla, November 1897
The gorilla shown in an aggressive posture became a popular museum highlight. Epitomised in the 1933 film, King Kong, sensationalist reports by early explorers influenced the way these animals were

Homo erectus femur (Trinil)
A cast of a Homo erectus femur originally discovered at the Trinil site on the Solo River, Java, Indonesia by Eugene Dubois between 1891 and 1892

Professor Chris Stringer with four hominid skulls
Top left: Modern Human (Europe). Top right: Modern Human (Africa). Bottom left: Gibraltar Neanderthal, Forbes Quarry. Bottom right: Broken Hiil Skull, Zambia

Homo heidelbergensis (Broken Hill) & Homo erectus pelvis (
Side view comparison of pelvis (ischium) of a male Homo heidelbergensis, (Broken Hill E719) and a cast of Homo erectus Pelvis (OH28) discovered at Olduvai Gorge

Gibbon, Hylobates lar
Skeleton of Gibbon suspended from the ceiling of the Natural History Museum, Londons Central Hall as part of the Primate Gallery display

Beauty of the Quadrumana
Figures 73 to 76 showing Head of Semnopithecus comatus, head of Cebus capucinus, head of Ateles marginatus and head of Cebus vellerosus. From Darwin, C

Djebel Kafzeh, Qafzeh Cave, Israel
The cave 2.5 km south of Nazareth, Galilee where fossils of early modern Homo sapiens (Homo sapiens sapiens) were found in 1933 by R. Neuville, in 1935 by R. Neuville & M

Homo heidelbergensis mandible (Mauer 1)

Australopithecus africanus mandible (MLD 2)
Mandible and teeth of an adolescent male (of about 12 years) Australopithecus africanus discovered at Makapansgat by A.R. Hughes and S. Kitching in July 1948

Homo erectus, Solo Man cranium (Ngandong 1)
The cranium cast of Solo Man discovered at Ngandong close to the Solo River on the island of Java, Indonesia. The specimen belonging to Homo erectus dates back to no later than 800, 000 years ago

Paranthropus robustus jaw bone
Lower jaws of Australopithecus robustus. A robustus lived between 1.8 and 1.5 million years ago in South Africa

Sivapithecus & human mandible
A human mandible (on the left) compared with a Sivapithecus mandible. Sivapithecus, an extinct ape from the Miocene, is believed to have lived 9 million years ago

Sivapithecus sivalensis
Fragments of cranium and mandible of an extinct ape-like primate Sivapithecus sivalensis which lived about 8 million years ago. The specimen was discovered in Potwar, Pakistan

A Homo habilis hammerstone
A hammerstone tool discovered at the Olduvia Gorge, Tanzania dating back to between 1.85 million years ago to 1.6 million years ago

Sivapithecus meteai cranial fragment
A lower fragment of the cranium of Sivapithecus meteai showing maxilla, incisors, canine, premolars and molars. This specimen dates back 9 million years and was discovered in Yassorien, Turkey

Homo sapiens, Australopithecus, Neanderthal and Pan troglody
A display of models of hominids, including human, Australopithecus, Neanderthal and chimpanzee, on display in the Life Galleries at the Natural History Museum, London

Modern Homo sapiens. A range of human remains (cranial and p
Cranium fragments belonging to Modern Homo sapiens dating back 12, 000 years ago discovered at Goughs Cave, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset

Modern Homo sapiens cranium (Skhul V)
A front view of a cast of Skhul V discovered in 1932 on Mount Carmel, Israel. The original specimen is held at Harvards Peabody Museum. This specimen dates between 80, 000 and 100, 000 years old

Australopithecus africanus, the Taung child
A cast of a skull of Australopithecus africanus from Taung, Cape Province, South Africa. The original skull, thought to be of a child aged between 3-4 was discovered in 1924 by Raymond Dart

Hominid Fossil Collection
A sellection of items from the anthropologigical collections at the Natural History Museum, London

Homo erectus cranium (Trinil 2)
A cranium (cast) belonging to Homo erectus discovered at Trinil near to the River Solo, Java, Indonesia by Eugene Dubois in 1891

Hylobates concolor, crested gibbon
A portrait of a juvenille crested gibbon. Photographed by Frank Greenaway

Fossilised frontal bone, Gran Dolina
Fossilised frontal bone from a childs skull. Fragments of a 12-year-old childs cranial bone being pieced together by a palaeontologist

Homo heidelbergensis reconstruction. Reconstruction of a Homo heidelbergensis head from skull 5 (Miguelon) found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

Skull 5, Sima de los Huesos. In 1992, the team working with Professor Juan Luis Arsuaga found skull 5 (Miguelon) at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones), the best preserved skull known world-wide

Fossilised remains, Sima de los Huesos. Reconstructed Homo hiedelbergensis skeleton. This skeleton has been made up from human fossils found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

Fossilised skulls, Sima de los Huesos. These human skulls are amongst many hundreds of pieces of human fossils found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

Excavation at Galeria
MODEL RELEASED. Excavation at Galeria. Excavations at this site started in 1982. Occupation floors, or layers of earth that at one time made up the cave floor, were discovered

Human fossils, Sima de los Huesos. These human fossils are a selection of the hundreds of pieces found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

Skull 4, Sima de los Huesos. In 1992, the team working with Professor Juan Luis Arsuaga found skull 4 (Agamenon) at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones), the first intact skull found at the site

Fossilised remains, Gran Dolina. These human fossils, dating back approximately 800, 000 years, are a selection found in level TD6 at the Gran Dolina site betwen 1994 and 1995

Stone tools, Gran Dolina. Examples of stone tools found next to human fossils in level TD6 of the Gran Dolina site. The technique used for the manufacturing of these stone tools was to hit a piece of

Fossilised skull, Gran Dolina. Pieces of childs skull and upper jaw (maxillar). It is thought the child died aged between 10-12 years and has been nicknamed El Nino de la Gran Dolina

Fossilised pelvis, Sima de los Huesos. This male Homo heidelbergensis pelvis, nicknamed Elvis, is the only known intact pelvis dating back 400, 000 years

Base of skull 5, Sima de los Huesos. In 1992, the team working with Professor Juan Luis Arsuaga found skull 5 (Miguelon) at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

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"Hominoid: Unraveling the Evolutionary Tapestry" Delve into the fascinating world of hominoids, a diverse group of primates that includes humans and their closest relatives. From the intricate sensory homunculus mapping our perception to the remarkable Australopithecus afarensis (AL 288-1), affectionately known as Lucy, these creatures hold secrets to our own origins. The study of hominid crania provides invaluable insights into our ancestors' physical characteristics and evolutionary journey. The iconic Australopithecus afarensis (AL 288-1) skull, famously named Lucy after its discovery in Ethiopia, offers a glimpse into an ancient species that walked upright millions of years ago. As we explore further, we encounter the motor homunculus – a representation of how different areas of our brain control specific body movements. Witness Homo neanderthalensis in action at Swanscombe, UK; imagine their strength and resilience as they roamed Europe thousands of years ago. Travel back even earlier with Proconsul africanus - an early ape-like ancestor believed to have lived around 23 million years ago. These reconstructions allow us to visualize how this creature might have looked like during its time on Earth. Continuing along this chronological path brings us face-to-face with Australopithecus afarensis once again. This species played a crucial role in human evolution by exhibiting bipedal locomotion and providing evidence for early tool use. Step forward in time to witness Homo heidelbergensis in action - an archaic human species that inhabited Africa nearly half a million years ago. Observe their resourcefulness and adaptability as they thrived across various environments. Not limited solely to humans, we also encounter Guy - a western lowland gorilla who lived from 1946 until 1978.