Fossil Homo crania average 723 cubic centimeters before 1.5 million years ago and 1,158 after 600,000 years ago

Source. Du et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2018, Table S1 (94 crania, CC BY 4.0).

Method and data

Method. Each dot is one cranium: the mean of its published volume estimates, at the midpoint of its date range. The black bars and their numbers are the means of the 21 Homo crania older than 1.5 million years and the 15 younger than 600,000.

Specimen	Taxon	Group	Endocranial volume (cc, mean of estimates)	Age (million years, midpoint)	Youngest age (million years)	Oldest age (million years)	Region
AL 162-28	Au. afarensis	other	384	3.22	3.2	3.24	EA
AL 288-1	Au. afarensis	other	388	3.075	2.95	3.2	EA
AL 333-105	Au. afarensis	other	371	3.22	3.2	3.24	EA
AL 333-45	Au. afarensis	other	492	3.22	3.2	3.24	EA
AL 444-2	Au. afarensis	other	550	3.075	2.95	3.2	EA
AL 822-1	Au. afarensis	other	385	3.1			EA
Atapuerca 5	H. heidelbergensis	homo	1,125	0.598	0.415	0.78	EU
Atapuerca 4	H. heidelbergensis	homo	1,390	0.598	0.415	0.78	EU
Bodo 1	H. heidelbergensis	homo	1,228	0.595	0.55	0.64	EA
BOU-VP-12/130	Au. garhi	other	450	2.473	2.45	2.496	EA
BOU-VP-2/66	H. erectus	homo	995	0.921	0.8	1.042	EA
Bukuran	H. erectus	homo	916	1.15	0.8	1.5	A
Ceprano 1	H. heidelbergensis	homo	1,057	0.475	0.35	0.6	EU
D2280	H. erectus	homo	783	1.765	1.76	1.77	EU
D2282	H. erectus	homo	648	1.765	1.76	1.77	EU
D2700	H. erectus	homo	600	1.765	1.76	1.77	EU
D3444	H. erectus	homo	638	1.765	1.76	1.77	EU
D4500	H. erectus	homo	546	1.765	1.76	1.77	EU
Hexian 1	H. erectus	homo	1,025	0.412			A
KGA-10-525	P. boisei	other	545	1.42	1.41	1.43	EA
KNM-ER 13750	P. boisei	other	503	1.88	1.83	1.93	EA
KNM-ER 1470	H. habilis	homo	756	1.959	1.868	2.05	EA
KNM-ER 1590	H. habilis	homo	788	1.825	1.8	1.85	EA
KNM-ER 1805	H. habilis	homo	582	1.725	1.6	1.85	EA
KNM-ER 1813	H. habilis	homo	496	1.725	1.55	1.9	EA
KNM-ER 23000	P. aethiopicus	other	491	1.784	1.7	1.868	EA
KNM-ER 3732	H. erectus	homo	738	1.907	1.868	1.945	EA
KNM-ER 3733	H. erectus	homo	781	1.63	1.48	1.78	EA
KNM-ER 3883	H. erectus	homo	795	1.57			EA
KNM-ER 406	P. boisei	other	500	1.63	1.56	1.7	EA
KNM-ER 407	P. boisei	other	474	1.85			EA
KNM-ER 42700	H. erectus	homo	691	1.567	1.527	1.607	EA
KNM-ER 732	P. boisei	other	483	1.63	1.56	1.7	EA
KNM-OL 45500	H. erectus	homo	715	0.882	0.79	0.974	EA
KNM-WT 15000	H. erectus	homo	909	1.555	1.47	1.64	EA
KNM-WT 17000	P. aethiopicus	other	410	2.526			EA
KNM-WT 17400	P. boisei	other	430	1.77	1.67	1.87	EA
Lantian	H. erectus	homo	780	1.135	1.07	1.2	A
MH1	Au. sediba	other	420	1.977			SA
MLD 1	Au. africanus	other	510	2.715	2.58	2.85	SA
MLD 37/38	Au. africanus	other	445	2.58			SA
Mojokerto 1	H. erectus	homo	800	1.62	1.43	1.81	A
Nanjing 1	H. erectus	homo	873	0.621	0.566	0.676	A
Ndutu	H. heidelbergensis	homo	1,098	0.68	0.37	0.99	EA
Ngandong I	H. erectus	homo	1,130	0.345	0.143	0.546	A
Ngandong IX	H. erectus	homo	1,135	0.345	0.143	0.546	A
Ngandong V	H. erectus	homo	1,281	0.345	0.143	0.546	A
Ngandong VI	H. erectus	homo	1,097	0.345	0.143	0.546	A
Ngandong VII	H. erectus	homo	1,047	0.345	0.143	0.546	A
Ngandong X	H. erectus	homo	1,114	0.345	0.143	0.546	A
Ngandong XI	H. erectus	homo	1,070	0.345	0.143	0.546	A
Ngandong XII	H. erectus	homo	1,145	0.345	0.143	0.546	A
OH 12	H. erectus	homo	691	0.965	0.78	1.15	EA
OH 13	H. habilis	homo	649	1.476	1.15	1.803	EA
OH 16	H. habilis	homo	638	1.476	1.15	1.803	EA
OH 24	H. habilis	homo	580	1.943	1.848	2.038	EA
OH 5	P. boisei	other	509	1.844	1.839	1.848	EA
OH 7	H. habilis	homo	685	1.844	1.839	1.848	EA
OH 9	H. erectus	homo	1,062	1.476	1.15	1.803	EA
Omo 323-1976-896	P. boisei	other	490	2.2			EA
Omo L.338y-6	P. aethiopicus	other	427	2.35	2.29	2.41	EA
Saldanha 1	H. heidelbergensis	homo	1,225	0.35	0.1	0.6	SA
Sangiran 10	H. erectus	homo	890	1.035	0.8	1.27	A
Sangiran 12	H. erectus	homo	963	0.935	0.8	1.07	A
Sangiran 17	H. erectus	homo	982	0.91	0.8	1.02	A
Sangiran 2	H. erectus	homo	811	1	0.98	1.02	A
Sangiran 3	H. erectus	homo	975	0.91	0.8	1.02	A
Sangiran 31	H. erectus	homo	700	1.7	1.6	1.8	A
Sangiran 4	H. erectus	homo	894	1.7	1.6	1.8	A
Sangiran 38	H. erectus	homo	875	1.525	1.47	1.58	A
SK 1585	P. robustus	other	494	1.98	1.6	2.36	SA
SK 46	P. robustus	other	800	1.98	1.6	2.36	SA
SK 48	P. robustus	other	750	1.98	1.6	2.36	SA
SK 54	P. robustus	other	500	1.98	1.6	2.36	SA
SK 859	P. robustus	other	465	1.98	1.6	2.36	SA
Sts 19/58	Au. africanus	other	509	2.3	2	2.6	SA
Sts 5	Au. africanus	other	481	2.01			SA
Sts 60	Au. africanus	other	413	2.3	2	2.6	SA
Sts 71	Au. africanus	other	442	2.3	2	2.6	SA
Stw 505	Au. africanus	other	558	2.3	2	2.6	SA
Taung-1	Au. africanus	other	428	2.805	2.58	3.03	SA
Tjg-1993.05	H. erectus	homo	858	1.15	0.8	1.5	A
TM 1517	P. robustus	other	625	1.9			SA
Trinil 2	H. erectus	homo	901	1.535	1.47	1.6	A
Type 2	Au. africanus	other	494	2.3	2	2.6	SA
UA 31	H. erectus	homo	995	0.992			EA
Yunxian	H. erectus	homo	1,150	0.726	0.581	0.87	A
Zhoukoudian II	H. erectus	homo	1,013	0.627	0.504	0.75	A
Zhoukoudian III	H. erectus	homo	915	0.627	0.504	0.75	A
Zhoukoudian V	H. erectus	homo	1,300	0.372	0.245	0.5	A
Zhoukoudian VI	H. erectus	homo	850	0.602	0.423	0.78	A
Zhoukoudian X	H. erectus	homo	1,235	0.602	0.423	0.78	A
Zhoukoudian XI	H. erectus	homo	1,018	0.602	0.423	0.78	A
Zhoukoudian XII	H. erectus	homo	1,025	0.602	0.423	0.78	A

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