Boskop

noun

Bos·​kop ˈbä-ˌskäp 

plural Boskops

: 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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