In 1924, a blast in a South African quarry uncovered a tiny skull that changed what we know about human origins
TIMESOFINDIA.COM / May 27, 2026, 16:45 (IST)
A chance dynamite blast in a South African quarry in 1924 unearthed the skull of a child, later named the Taung Child. This fossil, exhibiting ape-like and human features, challenged prevailing European-centric theories of human evolution. Young anatomist Raymond Dart proposed it was a bipedal ancestor, establishing Africa as humanity's cradle, a revolutionary idea that reshaped evolutionary science.