A one million year old human pubic symphysis

Here, we describe an intact, undistorted, adult pubic symphysis (UA-466) from the w1 Ma Uadi Aalad site in the Buia sedimentary basin of the Eritrean Danakil. The left pubis was discovered in November 2003 from surface collections near where a cranium, two isolated teeth, and two right innominate fragments were previously found from a single outcrop. UA-466 comes from the same sedimentological level as these other remains, exhibits similar fossilization and coloration, and is embedded in a similar black matrix. However, UA-466 was found on the surface about 15 meters from the other remains. At present, it cannot be determined if any of the bones belong to the same individual