Homo habilis Body structurehominid (Latin: “able man” or “handy man”)

Olduvai and Koobi Fora fossils have allowed researchers to make some determinations about the anatomy of early humans. It is clear that the braincase of H. habilis is larger than that of Australopithecus. The original finds from Olduvai Gorge include two sizable bones from the skull of OH 7. An incomplete brain cast was molded by putting the bones together to form a partial cranium. This cast has been used to estimate a total brain volume of about 680 cc. A brain cast from ER 1470, which has a more complete cranium, can be measured directly; its volume is about 775 cc. One or two additional fragmentary skulls appear to be about the same size as that of ER 1470. Others—such as ER 1813, which has a cranial capacity of only about 510 are much smaller. Thus, brain sizes ranging from slightly more than 500 to nearly 800 cc seem to characterize H. habilis.

The skulls by and large have thin walls and are rounded, rather than low and flattened; they do not have the heavy crests and projecting browridges characteristic of later H. erectus. The underside of the cranium is shortened from the back of the palate to the rear of the skull, as in all later Homo species. This is an important contrast to the so-called gracile australopiths, in which the cranial base is relatively narrow and elongated.

The facial bones of several specimens are at least partly preserved, and facial proportions vary considerably. One of the Olduvai hominins, OH 24, seems anatomically similar to Australopithecus in having prominent cheekbones and a flat nasal region. This gives the central region of the face a depressed, or “dished,” appearance, and the upper part of the nasal profile is obscured by the cheek when the specimen is viewed from the side. Such hollowing of the face is characteristic of some South African australopiths but is not seen in later Homo. The facial skeleton of ER 1470 is large relative to the braincase, and it shows flattening below the nose—Australopithecus-like features. The walls of the nasal opening, however, are slightly everted, and there is at least an indication that the nose stands out in more relief than would be expected in australopiths. The face of ER 1813 is even more modern.

The front teeth of H. habilis are not much different in size from those of Australopithecus, but the premolar and molar crowns—particularly in the lower jaw—are narrower. The jaw itself may be quite heavily constructed like that of gracile australopiths. This is the case for OH 7 and also for at least one specimen from Koobi Fora. Other jaws are smaller but still robust in the sense of being thick relative to height. For example, the mandible of OH 13 is similar in many respects to that of H. erectus, and this individual might have been called H. erectus if its jaw had not been found along with small, thin vault bones.

Only a few other skeletal parts have been discovered. Some limb bones from Olduvai and Koobi Fora have been grouped tentatively with H. habilis on the basis of general anatomic similarity to later humans. These fossils, however, are not associated with any teeth or skulls, and it is probably not appropriate to use them as the basis for describing early Homo. One individual for which body parts are more fully represented is OH 62. Arm and leg bones of OH 62 are fragmentary, but the arm is relatively long. The skeleton may be similar in its proportions to small australopiths. OH 62 probably walked on two legs as efficiently as other early hominins, but this diminutive individual was unlike later humans in many respects.

Another important specimen is the immature hand of OH 7. These bones, found with skull bones, are still apelike in some aspects, but it is almost certain that the individual from which they came had dexterous hands. Stone artifacts and early Homo fossils have been found at Olduvai and other sites. These tools are called the Oldowan industry, and, though they are crude, they indicate that H. habilis could shape stone.