Turkana Boy Fossil, The

The Turkana Boy's fossilized skull

The most famous Homo erectus fossil discovered in Africa is the Nariokotome homo erectus or Turkana Boy fossil found near lake Turkana in Kenya. It has been determined that this fossil belonged to a 12-year-old male who would have reached around 1.83 meters (5'6" feet) in height when fully grown. Its upright skeleton is identical to that of any modern human. The American paleoanthropologist Alan Walker says that he doubted that the average pathologist could tell the difference between the fossil skeleton and that of a modern human265, because Homo erectus is in fact a modern human race.

Professor William Laughlin of Connecticut University spent years researching Eskimos and the inhabitants of the Aleut islands and observed a striking level of similarity between them and Homo erectus. Laughlin's conclusion was that all these different races in fact belonged to Homo sapiens (human):

When we consider the vast differences that exist between remote groups such as Eskimos and Bushmen, who are known to belong to the single species of Homo sapiens, it seems justifiable to conclude that Sinanthropus [an erectus specimen] belongs within this same diverse species. 266

265. Boyce Rensberger, The Washington Post, November 19, 1984.
266. Marvin Lubenow, Bones of Contention, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992. p. 136.