Question

Taung baby is
a. Dryopithecus
b. Australopithecus
c. Peking Man
d. Piltdown Man

Answer 1

Taung baby is the first discovered fossil of human ancestors. It was discovered in the quarry mines of Taung. Taung is a small town in the North West province (South Africa). Taung Child was the first hominid that was discovered on the entire continent. It was discovered in 1924. It was discovered by Raymond Dart in Taung. It was described as a new species in the journal Nature by Raymond Dart in 1925.

Complete answer:
Taung child is the fossilized skull of Australopithecus africanus. Taung Child was a tiny skull completed with the fossilized brain cast. Taung skull is the most important anthropological fossil skull of the twentieth century, it is repositioned at the University of Witwatersrand. The name Taung child was given by Raymond Dart, it was an intermediate form between apes and the humans.
- Dryopithecus is the ancestor of African apes and humans.
- Peking Man is an ancestor of the Chinese people.
- Piltdown Man is the fossil remains of previously unknown early humans.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Additional information:
- Taung child first described the evidence of early human upright and bipedal walking.
- Taung Child was the first early hominid discovered that's why Taung child is important.
- In the Taung child, the spinal cord hole is located towards the front of the skull.
- It is a characteristic of bipedal locomotion.
- The cranial cavity of the Taung baby is 400- 500 cc.

Note: Taung child is an ancestor of Australopithecus africanus. It was discovered by Raymond Dart. He explained it as a 2.5 million-year-old precursor of the Home lineage. The significance of the Taung baby has not changed since its discovery. Taung child died due to the attack of eagles. They killed the Taung child as scientists found the puncture marks. The age of the Taung child has not been exactly known but approximately it is 2.8 MYA.