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The establishment of palaeo-anthropology in South Africa and China: with especial reference to the remarkably similar roles of Raymond A. Dart and Davidson Black

2001; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 56; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00359190109520451

2154-0098

Phillip V. Tobias, Q. WANG, Julie L. Cormack,

Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

The discovery of Australopithecus africanus (Taung Child) in South Africa in 1924 and Homo erectus (Peking Man) at Zhoukoudian in China in the 1920s not only historically began the discipline of palaeo-anthropology in these two countries, but also greatly influenced the development of this field as a whole. Besides, there are remarkable parallels between the careers of two pioneering palaeo-anthropologists, who were credited with these discoveries, Raymond A. Dart FRSSAf (1893–1988) and Davidson Black FRS (1884–1934). Both men were involved in the discovery and interpretation of fossils that seemed to fulfil the requirements of the archaic concept of a “Missing Link”. Both were concerned with the building of human origins programmes in their respective adoptive countries. Palaeo-anthropology in South Africa and China shares a common root, for both men had sat at the feet of Grafton Elliot Smith in Great Britain. From him both had absorbed an acquaintance with, and passion for, physical anthropology. Like the itinerant protégés of Linnaeus, both men were sent forth by their mentor to far-off places, one to Asia, one to Africa. These never-before-explored events not only reveal some very interesting links between these two figures and the countries they adopted, but also enriched the history of palaeo-anthropology as a science.