Turkana Boy
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| Catalog no. | KNM-WT 15000 |
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| Common name | Turkana Boy, Nariokotome Boy |
| Species | Tentatively assigned Homo erectus |
| Age | 1.6 mya |
| Place discovered | Lake Turkana, Kenya |
| Date discovered | 1984 |
| Discovered by | Kamoya Kimeu/Richard Leakey |
| Image is of a cast on display at the American Museum of Natural History | |
Turkana Boy, also called Nariokotome Boy, is the common name of Homo erectus fossil KNM-WT 15000, a nearly complete skeleton of a hominin youth who lived during the early . This specimen is the most complete early human skeleton ever found. It is believed to be between 1.5 and 1.6 million years old.
Estimates of his age at death range from seven to 18 years old; the most recent scientific review suggests eight years. It was initially suggested that he would have grown into a 185 centimetres (73 in) tall adult, but the most recent analysis argues for the much shorter stature of 163 centimetres (64 in). The reason for this shift has been research showing that his growth maturation differed from that of modern humans in that he would have had a briefer and smaller adolescent growth spurt.
The skeleton was discovered in 1984 by Kamoya Kimeu, a member of a team led by Richard Leakey, at Nariokotome near Lake Turkana in Kenya.
The shape of the pelvis identifies the specimen as male. Estimates of the age at death depend on whether the maturity stage of the teeth or skeleton is used, and whether that maturity is compared to that of modern humans or to chimpanzees. A key factor is that, while modern humans have a marked adolescent growth spurt, chimpanzees do not. While initial research assumed a modern human type of growth, more recent evidence from other fossils suggests this was less present in early Homo. This affects the estimation of both his age and his likely stature as a fully grown adult.
The specimen comprises 108 bones, making it the most complete early human skeleton discovered. The skeleton is about 160 centimetres (63 in) tall. In adulthood, Turkana Boy might have reached 185 centimetres (73 in) tall and massed 68 kilograms (150 lb). The pelvis is narrower than in Homo sapiens, which is most likely for more efficient upright walking. This further indicates a fully terrestrial bipedalism, which is unlike older hominin species that show a combined feature of bipedalism and tree climbing. The Boy was relatively tall, which increased his body surface area that would enhance heat dissipation and prevent heat stress under the hot sun.
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