UR 501 CT

This human jaw from Malawi, attributed to the species Homo rudolfensis,is the earliest representative of the genus Homo, about 2.4 million years old.The Computed tomograph (CT) displayed here of a 1.5mm slice through the teeth and jaw was originally acquired as a gray-scale (monochrome) image.The image was color coded in Adobe Photoshop to better reveal details of internal structures for study, as humans discriminate color more readily than gray levels.Photomicrographic analysis has shown that earliest Homo had significantly larger teeth and tooth roots than humans today.

This specimen (UR 501) was discovered by Professors Timothy G. Bromage, Yusuf M. Juwayeyi, and Friedemann.Professor Frans Zonneveld of Utrecht University undertook the CT of UR 501.

Original width 7 cm