#Early homo skull sketch skin
#Early homo skull sketch full

But the full reconstruction “is both an artistic and scientific challenge,” she says. Scientists still debate whether Homo georgicus is a distinct species or an early form of Homo erectus.ĭaynès synthesizes all of the scientific data about that point in hominid evolution into one sculpture, presenting a hypothesis of what the individual looked like. The sculpture is based on a skull (D2280) unearthed in Georgia. Setting up a museum exhibit, Daynès carries a hyper realistic reconstruction of Homo georgicus. “Lucy” proved an exceptionally difficult reconstruction, spanning eight months. More complete remains yield more accurate reconstructions. The skull, other bone remains and flora and fauna found in the excavation all help develop a picture of the individual: her age, what she ate, what hominid group she belonged to, any medical conditions she may have suffered from, and where and when she lived.

#Early homo skull sketch skin

Vignal had developed the computer modeling programs used to estimate muscle and skin thickness.įorensic sleuthing, she says, is the perfect guide: She approaches a reconstruction like a investigator profiling a murder victim. Her first collaboration with a scientist on a reconstruction came in 1998 when she teamed up with longtime friend Jean-Nöel Vignal, a paleoanthropologist and former head of the Police Forensic Research Institute in Paris, to reconstruct a Neanderthal from France’s La Ferrassie cave site. She also consults with scientific experts on the fossil group at each stage of the reconstruction process. Dental and eye prosthetics complete the sculpture’s form.įor hair and eye color decisions, Daynès gets inspiration from the scientific literature: for example, genetic evidence suggests that Neanderthals had red hair.

For hair, she typically uses human hair in members of the Homo genus, mixing in yak hair for a thicker effect in older hominids. Next, Daynès makes a silicone cast of the sculpture, a skin-like canvas on which she’ll paint complexion, beauty spots and veins. Photo: © P.Plailly/E.Daynès – Reconstruction Atelier Daynès Paris Using cranial measurements, the artist adds layers of clay to form muscles and skin. Images of the skull cast of a 18,000-year-old Homo floresiensis skull with cranial measurements marked with toothpicks. Additional bones and teeth provide more clues to body shape and stature. These points guide Daynès as she molds clay to form muscles, skin and facial features across a cast of the skull. No matter the reconstruction, Daynès always starts with a close examination of the ancient human’s skull-a defining feature for many hominid fossil groups.Ĭomputer modeling of 18 craniometric data points across a skull specimen gives her estimates of musculature and the shape of the nose, chin, and forehead. “I knew it straight away after first contact with this field, when I understood how infinite research and creativity could be,” she says.Īlthough her sculpting techniques continue to evolve, she still follows the same basic steps. Through this initial project, Daynès found her calling. This interest put her on the radar of the Thot Museum in Montignac, France, and in 1988, they tapped Daynès to reconstruct a mammoth and a group of people from the Magdalenian culture who lived around 11,000 years ago. When she opened her Paris studio, she began developing relationships with scientific labs. Though she got her start in the make-up department of a theater company, Daynès had an early interest in depicting realistic facial anatomy and skin in theatrical masks.

Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize for her reconstructions. Her works appear in museums across the globe, and in 2010, Daynès won the prestigious J. Her 20-year career is a study in human evolution-in addition to Lucy, she’s recreated Sahelanthropus tchadensis, as well as Paranthropus boisei, Homo erectus, and Homo floresiensis, just to name a few. This hyper-realistic depiction of Lucy comes from the Atelier Daynès studio in Paris, home of French sculptor and painter Elisabeth Daynès. She’s no ordinary mannequin: Her skin looks like it could get goose bumps, and her frozen pose and expression make you wonder if she’ll start walking and talking at any moment. This reconstruction of the famous Australopithecus afarensis specimen dubbed “Lucy” stands a mere 4 feet tall, is covered in dark hair, and displays a pleasant gaze. A smiling 3.2-million-year-old face greets visitors to the anthropology hall of the National Museum of Anthropology and History in Mexico City.