| Sterkfontein (Afrikaans for strong fountain) is a set of
limestone caves of special interest to paleo-anthropologists located Northeast of
Johannesburg, South Africa near the town of Krugersdorp. A number of early hominid
remains have been found at the site over the last few dacades including Mrs. Ples (born
circa 2.6 to 2.8 million years ago).
Mrs Ples is the popular nickname for the most complete skull of an Australopithecus
Africanus ever found in the world. Many fossils of this species, which are considered to
be the distant relatives of all humankind, have been found in the Sterkfontein area, in
what has been designated the Cradle of Humankind. This is a World Heritage Site. |
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