Natural History - Historic 'Australia' Boulder Opal Mineral Specimen

Australopithecus Africanus cranium skull with hand-painted finish. 1.19 kg, 20.1 cm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

Australopithecus africanus is an extinct South African species of australopithecine which lived circa 3.3-2.1 million years ago in the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene. Australopithecus, means ‘southern ape’. It is based on ‘australo’, a Latin word meaning ‘southern’ and ‘pithecus’, a Greek word meaning ‘ape’. The females grew to about 110 centimetres in height and males were slightly taller at about 135 centimetres.

Comprising fossilised wood, leaf fossils, a gastropod mollusc, sea urchin, nautilus shell, a bivalve, gastropods on a matrix, and a replica beetle on a matrix; all fossils with old labels. 1.62 kg total, 7.6-11.9 cm



Acquired on the UK mineral and fossil market, since 1970. From the historic mineral collection of Richard Valentine Cain, London, UK, thence by descent. Each specimen accompanied by an original historic information card.

Comprising: galena from England, collection number 234; fluorite from Blackdene, Durham, collection number 439; hematite, collection number 154; pyrite on galena from Zacatecas, Mexico, collection number 424; hematite from England, collection number 115; galena on chalcopyrite from Chilean Andes, South America, collection number 278; dolomite from Arkansas, USA, collection number 354; specular hematite with quartz from Brazil, collection number 110; chalcopyrite from New Mexico, USA, collection number 377. 549 grams total, 48-99 mm



Acquired on the UK mineral and fossil market, since 1970. From the historic mineral collection of Richard Valentine Cain, London, UK, thence by descent. All specimens accompanied by an original historic index file card.