Sterkfontein has yielded an enormous amount of hominid fossils, but until the discovery of this particular cranium, all were thought to belong to the species Australopithecus africanus. The recovery of this skull, labeled Stw 252, raises the possibility of multiple species existing in the area. Ron Clarke insists the specimen is very old - possibly older than many of the other specimens found in the area - as it was recovered from cave deposits deep within Sterkfontein. Unfortunately, the specimen cannot be dated. The specimen itself consists of (nearly) a complete upper dentition, most of the palate, small fragments of the face, as well as portions of the frontal, parietal and occipital bones (Johanson & Edgar: 1996). Clarke noted some significant differences in the anatomy of this cranium when compared to the conventional Australopithecus africanus cranium, such as Sts 5, and he decided it more closely resembled a Paranthropus. Furthermore, Clarke noted interesting differences in the dentition, which further distinguish this skull from the Australopithecus africanus. The teeth are larger, notably the canines. Clarke theorizes that this species is a precursor to the robust Australopithecines, yet it has not been categorized as new species. Based on the study of the skull’s dentition, it seems likely that this species with larger teeth eventually gave way to the A. africanus but also the East African A. afarensis. This however is still an interpretation of minuscule data.