: an extinct late Pleistocene hominid known from remains found in southern Africa that is of moderate stature with a dolichocephalic skull, vertical forehead, orthognathous face, and relatively large brain
The Boskops had little frames and massive heads, and their mere presence in the fossil record throws the idea of unidirectional evolutionary progress into question.—Anthony Doerr, The Boston Globe, 16 Mar. 2008
—often used before another noun
Boskop man
In the 1950s it was shown that the Boskop skulls were barely different from those of modern peoples such as the San and Hottentot.—William H. Calvin, New Scientist, 8 Mar. 2008
Note:
Boskop man was originally described as a separate species (Homo capensis) but is now typically regarded as an early type of Homo sapiens.
Word History
Etymology
from Boskop, locality in the Transvaal, Union of South Africa, where remains were found
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