Paranthropus fossil map
Where fossils of Paranthropus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Human relatives |
|---|---|
| Lived | 5.333–0.0117 million years ago (Zanclean to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Hominidae |
| Named by | Broom 1938 |
| Fossil records | 74 occurrences at 48 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi |
| Rock formations | Koobi Fora, Shungura, txn:40899, Swartkrans, Olduvai, Kromdraai |
About Paranthropus
Paranthropus is a genus of extinct hominin which contains three widely accepted species: P. aethiopicus, P. robustus and P. boisei. However, the validity of Paranthropus is contested, and it is sometimes considered to be synonymous with Australopithecus. They are also referred to as the robust australopithecines. They lived between approximately 2.9 and at least 1.2 million years ago (mya) from the end of the Pliocene to the Middle Pleistocene.
Paranthropus is characterised by robust skulls, with a prominent gorilla-like sagittal crest along the midline—which suggest strong chewing muscles—and broad, herbivorous teeth used for grinding. Typically, Paranthropus species were generalist feeders, but while P. robustus was likely an omnivore, P. boisei seems to have been herbivorous, possibly preferring abundant bulbotubers. Paranthropoids were bipeds. Despite their robust heads, they had comparatively small bodies. Average weight and height are estimated to be 40 kg (88 lb) at 132 cm (4 ft) for P. robustus males, 50 kg (110 lb) at 137 cm (4 ft 6 in) for P. boisei males, 32 kg (71 lb) at 110 cm (3 ft 7 in) for P. robustus females, and 34 kg (75 lb) at 124 cm (4 ft 1 in) for P. boisei females.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Paranthropus (revision 1376393397), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q111463.
