Ternifine , also Called Tighenif , site of paleoanthropological excavations, about 20 km east of Mascara , Algeria , known for its remains of Homo erectus . Ternifine was mined in the 19th century for sand and numerous fossilized animal bones and Stone artifacts were recovered. Realizing the potential importance of these finds, paleontologists conducted systematic excavations between 1954 and 1955. Their efforts produced much additional material, including three human mandibles (jaw bones). Digging stopped due to flooding, but subsequent lowering of water table enabled detailed studies of the sediment layers. The Ternifine deposits consist of layers of hard gray clay and sand from a small lake or swamp. The Environment this area was probably treeless and fairly arid, as indicated by the animal species present. The fossils of these animals, as well as geological evidence, are from Ternifine about 700,000 years ago.
Britannica Quiz Destination Africa:Fact or Fiction? Is Africa's northernmost point further north than Europe's southernmost point? See if your geographical knowledge points north or south on this journey through Africa.The first lower jaw found in 1954 is mostly complete, although its rami (rising parts) are damaged on both sides is. The jaw is heavy and in front the profile is smooth and receding. There is no sign of a chin. The teeth are very large by modern standards. The second specimen consists of the left half of a lower jaw, while the third is practically intact. The latter is the largest of the Ternifine individuals. The development of bony crests on the body and along the base of the jaw, along with other characteristics, suggest this individual is male. One of the smaller mandibles is probably female. In addition to the mandibles, a hominin Parial bone (the side wall of the skull) and some isolated teeth. This material has been compared to the remains of others There were archaic people and similarities with the Beijing observed. Initially, the Ternifine group was considered sufficiently distinct to warrant a new genus and species ( Atlanthropus mauritanicus ). However, it was later recognized that the fossils from Algeria and China, along with similar specimens from Java, could all be grouped together into one species, now Homo erectus is . The hominins in Ternifine were carved with Acheulian industry . It is known that some other populations of H. erectus Acheulian in Africa devices , but roughly contemporaneous representatives of this type in China made hacking tools that were similar to those of the earlier Oldowan industry .