9.7: Kenyanthropus platyops
- Page ID
- 62343
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A surprisingly “flat-faced” hominin came to light with Meave Leakey’s discovery and naming of Kenyanthropus platyops (“flat-faced human from Kenya”) in 1999. The degree of orthognathism was surprising for such an early hominin. While possessing primitive ape-like molars (elongated mesiodistally, i.e. front to back) and sharing similarities with Au. anamensis and afarensis, the lower face of K. platyops is surprisingly (and possibly mistakenly) orthognathic for its early date. The cranial capacity of K. platyops is also suspect due to the reconstruction but if accurate, it was fairly high relative to other species of the time, at 400–500 cc.