Introduction to Sterkfontein

One of the richest fossil hominid sites in the World, and one of the longest running excavations, Sterkfontein is famous worldwide for discoveries such as Mrs. Ples, Stw 505 and Little Foot. The richest area for fossil hominids at Sterkfontein is Member 4, where, since 1966 excavations have produced more than 600 individual fossil hominid remains. Some of these remains are beautifully preserved and represent the best examples of the extinct hominid species Australopithecus africanus. Professor Lee Berger from the University of the Witwatersrand introduces this fascinating site.
To watch the previous lectures in the series go here:
Visiting the Taung Child
• Visiting the Taung Chi...
Rise of Prometheus
• Rise of Prometheus
The muddle in the middle Pleistocene
• The muddle in the Midd...
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[@copperhorse4515]

I feel privileged to get these lectures and fossil examples from my home. Thank you Dr. Berger. Always a learning experience and fascinating! I never tire of getting a glimpse into our past.

[@lucasharsh1396]

Thank you for making these for the public. Please make more as you are able.

[@bettycummings6629]

I'm really enjoying these lectures. Thank you Prof. Berger!

[@paulcaiger2557]

Can you imagine if we could go back in time and show these fossils to Charles Darwin and tell him was right and that his tome of work could all be confirmed by genetics and inheritance. I was fortunate to go to Sterkfontein caves with Prof.Tobias ( my mentor) as a second year medical student in 1981.. have been fascinated ever since but never had the opportunity to learn about these fossils and the history in so much detail. Thank you Prof Berger for your lectures. You are preserving and creating history and compacting enormous amounts of data and history into these presentations. Much appreciated and admired. Congratulations on your own discoveries in this field. Regards Dr. Paul Caiger ( Witsie)

[@leapingkitties]

Thank you for taking the time to do these, totally amazing.

[@TitaniumShadow]

Extremely well done. Thank you for taking the time to create these video lectures. I have learned a lot from watching them.

[@harryhole5786]

Thanks Prof.Berger, very interesting. I'll also start to dig in my cave. I'll call you when I find something interesting.

[@pequerobles]

another great video Prof Berger !

[@jessieyen416]

Interesting talk. It’s a pity you get very little exposure to the fossils and the fascinating educational value in the Sterkfontein cave visit and particularly the Maponeng visitor’s center.

[@ericvulgate]

thank you for doing these videos. fascinating stuff.

[@mlazarus1653]

Wonderful Stuff!!! Thanks so much.

[@aMaritze]

Thanks for doing these amazing lectures. The skull reconstruction in the foreground to screen left, It doesn't have the sagittal crest of the robusts, but looks very robust. I think it may be a Australopithecus Africanus or Afarensis, but it seems very large compared to Mrs Ples. What is it, Prof. Berger?

[@thefossilvault355]

That is the reconstructed skull of Stw 252 - for more on this skull and the issues of how many species exist at Sterkfontein, watch the video A Question of numbers kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHKoZYajq9h4g80

[@anneschantl8929]

Great talks, learning lots. Thanks from Australia.

[@raccoonresident5760]

I'm wondering how many fossils were destroyed prior to bringing attention to the fossils? And mixing.

[@richb2229]

The large toothed small body hominid found more recently may be the second species.

[@raccoonresident5760]

Mr Berger? Is that a bit of arthritic changes in that articulated lumbar spine or changes to the bones during fossilization? How does the archeology community identity abnormalities?

[@alfonsosolimene7293]

#you referred to the vertebral column (spine) as the “spinal cord”! And lordosis was shown well!

[@MarcosElMalo2]

I want to get me a Georgia Lee Berger Jacket.

[@peterkavanagh64]

Ohh

[@desidaru1118]

Did dinasaur farts kill the dinos? Berger sets the stage.

[@americalost5100]

Has there been any possibility of DNA testing?

[@timothyortiz9796]

Couldn't the size difference between specimens be due to sexual dimorphism?

[@Peter_Scheen]

Size difference can also be because of age, or simply variation within the species.

[@vanderdole02]

it is sterk, not sturk, get your names right please...

[@helenhunter4540]

"Mrs Ples"! Really?

[@zamam.7953]

Why are you people giving indigenous African ancestral fossils and artefacts European names? You have completely disregarded the native peoples rights to ownership. Being that you're a university in Africa what gives you the right to just dig up our ancestors? Studying is one thing and we should fully support it but the minimum respect that you can find in your circles is to at the very least give African ancestral fossils African names! So much African history has been lost over hundreds of years of "research" because the European has separated history and put it under science as opposed to linking any and all greatness of Africa to the indigenous African.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

They named one newly discovered species homo zama. The brain cavity was remarkable small, able to hold about a teaspoon of brain material. Another odd thing about the fossil remains was that the skull was fused to the pelvis, as if the hominid head had been shoved up the hominid’s butt.

[@daniloantonelli7777]

In fact these are everyone’s ancestors not just Africans but all humanity. Race shouldn’t be an issue. Lee Burger has used African names for new specimens- homo naledi etc.